The Returns Oneshots
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: A collection of random one-shots for my stories, Return to the Cursed Realm, Return of the Overlord, and The Darkness' Return (read them first!). Rated T just in case, individual chapter ratings inside. Mostly fluff, but also contains scarier chapters. Chapters 30 and beyond contain spoilers for Return of the Overlord, chapters 50 and beyond have spoilers for The Darkness' Return.
1. Tragic Dreams

**Hello! Welcome to the first chapter of my collection of Return to the Cursed Realm One-Shots. This series will include short little thingys that didn't fit in with the plot of the main story. Hope you like!**

 **NOTES:**

 **1\. Read my main story, Return to the Cursed Realm, FIRST. You won't understand these if you don't. Plus there are spoilers for RttCR and Ninjago, soooo... I mean, even note #3 here contains spoilers.**

 **2\. You can request things you want to see here, like, for example, a guest with the pen name Angel Star Ninja requested a one-shot where Lloyd has a nightmare and Morro comforts him (that's this BTW). Please don't request anything completely random, like, Pythor and Misako have an archery competition. I might make a different story for random one-shots someday... I dunno. Anyway. Please only request things that fit in with the RttCR universe. I also won't write yuri or yaoi or anything M-rated. So keep that in mind.**

 **3\. These will not necessarily be in chronological order. I might have one that's from chapter 23, then have one from chapter 6, or even one before the story, say, Tara and Clouse family fluff or something. So yeah.**

 **Well, I think that's it for now! Hope you enjoy this one-shot!**

* * *

 **Tragic Dreams - Rated: K+ - Hurt/Comfort**

 **Summary: Lloyd has a nightmare. Morro comforts him. Adorable friendship fluff, not a yaoi. Mentions of death.**

 **Takes place: During Chapter 18, A Troubling Past.**

* * *

Lloyd lay awake in the darkness of the cave, unable to sleep for the third night in a row. His sleep patterns were _really_ messed up. He actually didn't know what time of day it was, but it didn't matter in the total darkness of the mountain. He shifted slightly, listening to the others breath steadily. He wanted to sleep, but he was wide awake, and he should probably stay up anyway in case Tara came back. Tara. Even thinking about her made him nervous. Even through she had only gone after Indigo so far, he was still nervous about being stabbed to death in his sleep. Being in a pitch-black cave with a murderer on the loose would do that to you. Lloyd summoned a tiny ball of light in his hand, illuminating the cave around him and revealing Morro asleep next to him. It comforted the green ninja to have his friends nearby, though, especially Morro. Unless Tara had water or deepstone, Morro could fend of her attacks with ease, even possess her or her weapons. Not only that, but Morro was extremely protective of him. Lloyd lay down next to the sleeping ghost, letting the ball of light in his hand vanish. Seconds after he did, however, he heard a sound. Lloyd froze. A rustle sounded in the darkness, followed by what sounded like a female cursing. Tara! Lloyd charged another ball of light, revealing the assassin girl standing barely five feet away. Tara growled.

"Hold still, _boy_ , this won't last long." she hissed, brandishing a knife with a black blade in her right hand. Deepstone. Lloyd gasped and reached for his sword, only to find it missing.

"Wha-" he started, before seeing it lying beside Tara. The green ninja flung the ball of light at her, but she ducked easily, starting to approach. Lloyd scrambled to his feet and walked backwards, trying to find something to attack her with.

"Foolish boy! I already took all your weapons." Tara grinned sinisterly. "Stop trying to resist. It'll only make it worse for you." Lloyd jumped into a fighting position, but Tara matched it. "I have better training than you, and I'm better armed! Just give up!" she taunted him, drawing a regular knife and throwing it at him. He jumped out of the way, but tripped on a rock and tumbled to the ground. Tara stood over him, knife poised to strike. Out of the corner of his eye, Lloyd saw someone jump to their feet, but was too focused on Tara to figure out who it was. As Tara brought the knife down, Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the pain... and never felt it. Only a sudden weight hitting him. Lloyd opened his eyes to see Morro, lying half on top of him, Tara's knife lodged firmly in his chest.

"Morro!" Lloyd screamed. Tara sighed, flipping her hair boredly.

"Whatever. I suppose I got what I came for." Tara turned around and walked into the darkness. Lloyd hardly noticed, however, as he was tearfully pushing Morro off of him onto the ground. The ghost's eyes were half closed and he was grimacing in pain.

"M-Morro, you..." Lloyd began, but his voice cracked and he couldn't go on.

"I'll... be alright..." Morro said, his voice faint. "I... will..." his eyes closed, never to open again.

"NO!" Lloyd screamed, bursting into tears. His best friend... had died, to save him.

TragicDreams

Lloyd opened his eyes with a start, only to be greeted by pitch blackness. He instantly sat up, charging a ball of gold energy in his palm and looking around the cave wildly. After a few moments, he calmed down, his eyes alighting on Morro, who was sleeping peacefully, unharmed, next to him. Lloyd exhaled shakily, not daring to let the light in his hand go out.

"It was just a dream..." he told himself, still shaking. He closed his eyes, instantly regretting it when images from his nightmare flashed before his eyes. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, hugging his knees to his chest with one hand and holding up the light with the other. After a few minutes of sitting like this, one thing was clear; the nightmare wasn't going to go away by itself. Lloyd hesitated for only a few moments before crawling closer to Morro and sitting down next to him, using his free hand to shake his shoulder. "Morro, wake up..." he whispered, barely audible. Morro shifted slightly, then opened his eyes a slit, blinking in the bright light. A second later his eyes opened wider and he pushed himself into a sitting position, looking at Lloyd with concern. It was only then that Lloyd noticed the tears sliding down his face.

"Lloyd? What's wrong?" Morro whispered, obviously worried.

"I h-had a nightmare." Lloyd answered, wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve. "T-Tara was in our c-camp and she attacked me and th-then she..." he paused to take a deep breath. "...she k-killed you..." Lloyd closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face. After a moment, he felt Morro's arms slide around him, comforting him. Lloyd sniffled, resting his chin on his arm so his tears wouldn't hit Morro, who shifted closer, holding the shaking ninja tightly. After a few moments, Morro spoke up.

"Tara couldn't kill me, Lloyd, I'm a ghost. Even if I did die, I would just reappear in the Cursed Realm." he said quietly.

"I kn-know..." Lloyd whispered shakily. "It was s-so real..." he stopped, since it was only making his crying worse. Morro held him tightly, gently rocking back and forth to calm him. After a few minutes, Lloyd had stopped crying and was resting on Morro's shoulder tiredly. "Morro?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

"How old are you?" Morro frowned slightly in concentration.

"I'm not sure... somewhere around 30, I think."

"You look younger." Lloyd said, smiling slightly. "I'm 12."

"Really?" Morro pulled away slightly to look at Lloyd's face.

"Yeah. I got hit with T-Tomorrow's tea." Lloyd sniffled. Morro hugged him again and they sat like that for a few minutes more. "Morro?" Lloyd whispered.

"Yes?"

"I'm tired... but I d-don't want to have another nightmare..." he murmured. Morro pulled him over to his own bedroll.

"Come and sleep next to me." Lloyd nodded sleepily and lay down on Morro's bedroll, eyes half closed. Morro lay down next to him and put his arms around him, smiling as Lloyd snuggled closer to him. The young ninja soon fell asleep, Morro not far behind.

* * *

 ***screams* AGH THE FLUFFINESS IS TOO MUCH**

 **This chapter was so fun to write. Maybe I should add "tragedy" to the thingy up there though, since Morro dies in his dream... what do you guys think?**

 **So yeah, I estimate that Morro is about 30, and that Lloyd was 10 when he was aged, and it's been a couple years, so, 12. Yup.**

 **Nightmares when people you care about die stink. Trust me.**

 **I reposted this because I wanted to change something.**

 **Well, hope you liked this! Did Lloyd's nightmare make anyone sad? It made me laugh, but I have some wires crossed... *cough* Anyway. Request things! Bye!**

 **~FFF**


	2. Delicious and Moist

**Heyo, everyone! Welcome back to RttCR one-shots! This here was requested by: no one. However, it was suggested by my older sister, who owns T.E.C.M.I.. I am writing this today because I didn't manage to get a chapter out yesterday. Hopefully I'll get another chapter of RttCR up today as well. I should be able to. Maybe. Anyway.**

* * *

 **Delicious and Moist - Rated K - Humor**

 **Summary: T.E.C.M.I. tries to convince the ninja and friends to eat her food suggestions.**

 **Takes place: At lunchtime, the first day they're in the Cursed Realm. Right after chapter 25.**

* * *

"Alright everyone, let's stop." Lloyd called the others to a halt.

"Finally! Time to eat!" Jay said excitedly, pulling T.E.C.M.I. the food machine out of his backpack. He had insisted on carrying her, probably because he seemed obsessed with machines. As soon as she could see, T.E.C.M.I. flickered to life.

"Greetings, loyal customers!" she chirped. "Would you like to try today's special of grilled crab patties, seasoned with wasabi and sweetened lime jui-"

"No, T.E.C.M.I., let's just have some normal food." Kai interrupted her. "Like, noodles or something."

"Really? But crab patties are delicious!"

"No thanks." Ming said calmly. "Sorry T.E.C.M.I., but I don't think people really like your food." T.E.C.M.I. sighed. She had had enough.

"You people are BORING!" she exclaimed, her screen glowing an angry red. "I faithfully give you delicious idea EVERY SINGLE MEAL, and you deny them EVERY TIME! The only one of you who's BRAVE enough to even TRY my food is Jessica!"

"Yeah!" Jessica agreed. "Her food is awesome! You should try it, Lloyd."

"Um... maybe..." the green ninja didn't accept, so T.E.C.M.I. tried again.

"Couldn't you at least just try it once? Just for me?" she asked innocently.

"Why? You're just a machine, anyway." Cole folded his arms.

"Zane is a robot." T.E.C.M.I. pointed out. "Is HE just a machine?"

"No!" the four other ninja said at once.

"But he has feelings, and emotions." Kai said. "Do you?"

"Of course I do!" T.E.C.M.I. said in shock. "You actually thought I didn't? Sheesh! With a creator like Techi, of course I have emotions! She's the Elemental Master of Technology!"

"Wait, she is?" Lloyd asked, shaking his head a moment later. "Well, it doesn't matter. Sorry T.E.C.M.I., let's just stick with normal food today."

"No." T.E.C.M.I. said firmly. "I'm not giving you anything but what I suggested."

"T.E.C.M.I..." Kai said in a warning tone.

"If you blow me up, I can't make any food at all." T.E.C.M.I. said smugly. "And you didn't pack any food, so your only source of food is me."

"I hate to admit it, but she's right." Lloyd said with a sigh.

"I don't have to eat food." said Indigo, who was lying on the ground where Kai had put her.

"Well, everyone but you and Zane have to eat, which means I guess we'll have to eat her food. Nya?" Lloyd turned to the water ninja, who grumpily shot a jet of water from her hand at the machine. T.E.C.M.I. glowed brightly for a few moments before producing eight places of crab with wasabi and lime juice. She handed them to their recipients, who eyed them dubiously, except for Jessica who happily began eating it. Jay cautiously scooped a bite onto his fork and brought it to his lips slowly.

"This is..." his eyes widened as he chewed it. "This is awesome! It's delicious!" Kai took a bite as well.

"You're right! This is awesome!" the fire ninja agreed. All the others tasted it as well, even Indigo, and confirmed that it was the best food they'd ever tasted, and from then on they only ate what T.E.C.M.I. suggested for the rest of the adventure.

* * *

 **Well, that was short. Hope you liked it!**

 **BTW, the chapter title is a reference to the credits song from Portal. It's a really funny game and the songs are awesome. :D**

 **Bye!**

 **~FFF**


	3. Taking Flight

**Greetings once again, everyone! :D This one was requested by my dear friend Windy. :) Hope you enjoy! I wonder why most of the interesting stuff in my stories take place at night...**

* * *

 **Taking Flight - Rated K - Friendship**

 **Summary: Morro shows Lloyd what it feels like to fly.**

 **Takes place: The first night they spend in the Cursed Realm**

* * *

Lloyd lay on his bedroll, staring at the green-tinted stars of the Cursed Realm. They looked almost the same as they did in Ninjago, actually. The constellations and were the same, as well as the planets. The only thing different about this night sky was the lack of a moon. At least Ming wouldn't have any more screaming episodes. He winced at the memory. As he recalled that night, he was startled by a soft rustling sound. The green ninja lifted his head and glanced around the camp, quickly locating Morro standing on the edge of the mountain path. This wasn't surprising, Morro was up at night a lot. What was surprising, however, was what he did next. Lloyd inhaled sharply as Morro jumped off the cliff, and scrambled to his feet, running towards the mountain path. He stopped, however, when he saw Morro flying effortlessly through the night air. The green ninja let out a relieved sigh. Of course, he was the Master of Wind. This was even what he told those ghosts he was going to do. Lloyd sat down on the edge of the path, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he watched Morro fly.

TakingFlight

Morro grinned as he let the wind whip past him, making a roaring sound in his ears as he shot through the air. Not only was flying faster than walking, but it was also incredibly fun. He spiraled downwards, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness. Having the ability to control the wind was almost as good as having wings. As he floated back up, he saw a flash of bright green in the corner of his eye and turned to see Lloyd watching him from the edge of the cliff. Morro paused, hovering in midair. Lloyd waved and Morro returned it, floating closer so they could talk.

"Hi." Lloyd said once Morro had flown within earshot.

"Hi." Morro landed on the cliff next to him.

"Going for a midnight flight?" the green ninja asked with a smile.

"You could say that." Morro closed his eyes, feeling a gentle breeze play with his hair. "Nighttime here is so... peaceful. When I was trapped here, I was so obsessed with revenge that I never noticed how beautiful some places here are." he opened his eyes and saw Lloyd staring wistfully at the stars.

"I wish I could fly." Lloyd said after a moment. "I know I have my elemental dragon, and Airjitzu, but it can't be the same."

"It's not." Morro shook his head for a moment before a thought popped into his head. "Do you want to come fly with me?"

"What?" Lloyd turned to the ghost in surprise. "How?"

"I can carry you." Morro demonstrated by sending a gust of wind to lift the Green Ninja a foot into the air, setting him down a second later.

"Sure! I'd love to!" Lloyd scrambled to his feet. Morro stepped off the edge of the cliff, catching himself quickly so he hardly fell at all, then rising higher into the air.

"Just walk off and I'll catch you." he said to Lloyd, who looked down off the edge of the cliff nervously.

"O-okay..." he replied, cautiously stepping over the edge. Morro lifted him up, holding his foot steady. Lloyd stepped off with the other foot and wobbled in midair, putting out his arms to steady himself. Morro lifted his hand, causing Lloyd to rise through the air next to him.

"Ready?" Morro asked. Lloyd nodded and, after mentally linking them together, took off through the air, blasting straight up with Lloyd close behind. Morro kept going up until they were above the clouds, revealing a sky filled with billions of sparkling stars. He only paused for a few moments, though, before turning and streaking back down through the clouds. Morro glanced back at Lloyd to see him wide-eyed with both fear and excitement. Morro smiled and did a spin, Lloyd following his movements behind him. Morro sped up even more, flashing through the night sky like a bullet. After a few seconds of this, Morro slowed down, the strain of using his powers starting to wear him out. He steered them back towards the mountain and set them down on a ledge, panting slowly.

"That was awesome!" Lloyd exclaimed. "You're so lucky that you get to do that whenever you want! It was kinda... kinda like a rollar coaster. Except there were no tracks, so I didn't know where I was going."

"I could possess you again." Morro joked. Lloyd shuddered.

"No thanks. That's not exactly a pleasant experience." the two sat in silence for a few moments. "We should get back to camp." Lloyd spoke up.

"Yeah..." Morro stood up slowly. "Flying is, unfortunately, very tiring."

"Well, come on. You can ride on my elemental dragon." Lloyd summoned his green dragon and he and Morro climbed on. Lloyd then flew the dragon (quietly) back to camp. Morro climbed off and Lloyd let the dragon evaporate as the ghost lay down on his bedroll. Lloyd moved his bedroll closer to Morro's and lay down next to him. "Morro?" the green ninja said after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Thanks." Morro smiled at the happiness in the younger boy's tone.

"You're welcome." and he rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

 **Me: *trying to write this***

 **Me: *gets distracted by youtube video and watches random youtube stuff until I have to get off* Darn it!**

 ***The next day***

 **Me: *trying to write this***

 **Me: *gets distracted by ninjago and watches that until the internet shuts off* Darn it!  
**

 ***the next day***

 **Me: *trying to write this without getting distracted by anything*  
**

 **Me: *gets distracted by other fanfiction***

 **Me: *tries to ignore other fanfiction***

 **Me: *fails***

 **The story of my life.**

 **So yeah, I started writing Morro flying around, and decided it was too short, so I stuck Lloyd in there. That added a lot more plot. :D**

 **Well, the internet will shut off in 2 minutes so I better hurry bye!**

 **~FFF**


	4. Attack of the Wild Reviewers

**Hello everyone! This one-shot was requested by... *drumroll* NO ONE! I came up with it myself.**

* * *

 **Attack of the Wild Reviewers - Rated K+ - Humor**

 **Summary: Tara has a very strange dream.**

 **Takes place: Right after Chapter 19, just after Jessica is caught by Tara.**

* * *

Tara stood in a large grey room, staring forward boredly. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd gotten here, but there didn't seem to be any way out or anything to do. So she just stood there. Finally, a door appeared in the wall in front of her and a girl walked in. She had blond hair, a white ninja gi, and angel wings. She was holding a chainsaw.

"Who are you?" Tara asked as the girl approached her.

"I'm Angel Star Ninja." the girl introduced herself. "Call me Angel. My friends and I have a bone to pick with you."

"Friends...?" Tara glanced around the girl to see about seven more teenagers walk through the door, all with weapons. There was one girl who was made of a cloud, another who was wearing a green and black gi, a girl in a silver gi, another with red hair and a red dress, one last girl with a black shirt and jeans, and a boy with a giant cookie. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm KRR." the cloud girl replied.

"Call me Windy." the second girl said with a smile.

"I'm the Silver Kunoichi." the silver-clothed one responded.

"Name's Breana." the red one said.

"My name's Madilyn JC." the last girl said.

"And I'm Bob!" the boy threw his cookie at Tara, who dodged it.

"Hey! What was that for?" she demanded.

"We're not exactly happy about you trying to ruin Morro and Lloyd's friendship." KRR informed her.

"Not to mention trying to kill them." Breana added.

"H-hey, that was only business." Tara stuttered, backing away from the dangerous looking teenagers.

"Ghost, you sound just like Ronin." Madilyn rolled her eyes. "And you think you're better than him?"

"How'd you know about that?!" Tara demanded.

"We're the magic reviewers." Windy answered as the Reviewers approached Tara with their weapons. "We know everything about you. We even know your future."

"Some of it." Silver Kunoichi added.

"Okay. If you know so much about me, where am I? And how are you here?" Tara folded her arms.

"You're in the Reviewer Realm." Windy replied. "It's where all Reviewers have absolute power."

"What?" Tara frowned. "What are you going to do to me?"

"I don't know, we haven't decided." KRR shrugged.

"We could slice her up with chainsaws." Angel suggested.

"Yeah!" Breana agreed.

"No!" Tara shook her head. "I'd rather not get sliced up with chainsaws, thanks."

"How about deepstone knives?" Madilyn suggested. "We could stab your best friend in the heart."

"Or scratch you on the arm and steal your blood." Bob added.

"Huh?" Tara asked, confused.

"This is getting dull. How about we just chase her?" Silver Kunoichi suggested.

"Yeah!" Angel turned on her chainsaw and Tara gulped. Spotting a door at the other side of the room, Tara zipped around the group of teenagers and dashed towards the doorway.

"GET HER!" KRR yelled, and the Reviewers took off after her. Tara ran through the doorway and slammed the door behind her. She looked around and found herself in a grey hallway. Just as she stepped away from the door, a chainsaw blade was pushed through it and she let out a squeak, taking off down the hall. The Reviewers soon broke the door down and ran after her. Tara ran through the maze of passages, occasionally losing the crazy kids for a little while before they found her again. KRR appeared to be their leader, since she was directing them through the endless maze. Tara was starting to wonder where the heck she was. Eventually, the Reviewers cornered her in a passage, by making a wall appear in the middle of the hall she was running through. Tara back against the wall as two of the girls approached her, knives and chainsaws drawn. Tara closed her eyes, preparing for a gory death, when one of the girls shouted,

"Wait!" Tara opened her eyes as the Silver Kunoichi and Madilyn stopped and looked back at Angel. "Technically..." the winged girl mused. "...if Tara hadn't cast the nightmare spell, Lloyd and Morro would never have had that cute snuggling moment back in Chapter 15."

"She's right." Windy nodded. "I guess we shouldn't kill her."

"Yes. Good idea. Don't kill me." Tara nodded earnestly. "Wait, chapter?"

"Plus, if Lloyd hadn't met Tara he wouldn't have had that nightmare in the first one-shot." KRR added.

"One what?" Tara asked, tilting her head.

"Well, I guess she deserves some credit for that." Silver Kunoichi lowered her blade. "Let's go, guys."

"See ya, Tara!" Bob tossed Tara a cookie, which she caught.

"Uh... thanks?" she said slowly as the Reviewers walked away around the corner. Tara took a bite of the cookie. It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good. Now, how did she get out of here...?

* * *

 **Ta daaaa! Tara gets what she deserves! I got the idea for this back right after she ran off with Ming for the first time.**

 **And there you have it, my headcannon for what all my main reviewers look like/act. Hopefully I got at least some of them right (I seriously doubt that KRR looks like a cloud).**

 **Well. Hope you liked it! I'll be doing people's requests... sometime. Might be able to write one tonight.**

 **~FFF**


	5. Midnight Music

**I SHOULD be writing Wind Rider... but I wrote this out the other night and thought "I better post one of these before my fans mob me". So yeah. I'm just writing Wind Rider on the computer. Which for some reason is way harder than writing it on paper in the closet at night. So, yep. Kairocksrainbow's request!  
**

* * *

 **Midnight Music - Rated K - Friendship**

 **Summary: Kai hears Kayson singing to himself at night, and he asks him to sing for him. Kayson grudgingly accepts. A bit of a songfic. Not a yaoi.  
**

 **Takes place: In the Cursed Realm, right after Alex escapes the ninja.**

* * *

Midnight Music

Kai lay on the rocky ground, changing positions every couple minutes. He just couldn't go to sleep. It was too cold. He rolled over on his back with a sigh. Staying up late at night was really boring. He couldn't do anything for fear of waking the others up. Worst of all, he was the only one awake. There was no one to talk to. So he was cold, bored, and lonely. After a couple minutes, Kai perked up at the sound of quiet singing. He sat up and glanced around the camp, straining to hear the words.

"...soon discover, we've gotta push our game. We slept on Thursday just to get it over, the whip's a day away. And they say, go slow..." Kai smiled at the familiar lyrics, finally locating Kayson on the other side of the camp. He wasn't the only one up after all. The fire ninja got to his feet and walked up behind the younger teenager, spotting earbuds in his ears and an iPod in his hand. He was singing softly to himself and nodding his head to the beat. After a minute, Kai tapped his shoulder and Kayson jerked in surprise. He turned off his music and looked over his shoulder, blowing out a frustrated breath when he saw Kai. "Don't startle me like that." he said with a glare as he pulled the earbuds out of his ears.

"Well, how was I supposed to get your attention?" Kai asked with a lopsided grin. "Jump in front of you like a dumb animatronic?" Kayson rolled his eyes.

"No. I don't know." he turned back around and stared into space, waiting for Kai to leave. Instead, Kai said,

"You're a good singer."

"No I'm not." Kayson muttered.

"Yeah you are." Kai insisted. "Better than me. And I'm pretty good." he grinned again, though the younger teenager couldn't see it. Kayson was silent until Kai said, "Sing for me?"

"...no." Kayson turned around to face him. "Why would I do that?"

"'Cause I asked you to?" Kai shrugged. "Please? I'm really bored and, like I said, you have an awesome voice." Kayson hesitated, then sighed and nodded.

"Any requests?" he asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Do you know "Monster" by Skillet?" Kai asked after a moment.

"Sure." Kayson nodded and paused, pressing some buttons on his iPod and turning it up to full volume as an instrumental version of Monster began to play. He waited a few seconds before closing his eyes and beginning to sing.

 _The secret side of me, I never let you see_  
 _I keep it caged but I can't control it_  
 _So stay away from me, the beast is ugly_  
 _I feel the rage and I just can't hold it_

 _It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls_  
 _It comes awake and I can't control it_  
 _Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head_  
 _Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?_

 _I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_  
 _I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_

 _I, I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_

 _My secret side I keep hid under lock and key_  
 _I keep it caged but I can't control it_  
 _'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down_  
 _Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?_

 _I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_  
 _I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_

 _I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_

 _It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp_  
 _There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart_  
 _No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream_  
 _Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster_

 _I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_  
 _I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_

 _I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_  
 _I've gotta lose control, he something radical_  
 _I must confess that I feel like a monster_

 _I, I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_  
 _I, I feel like a monster_

Kayson finished and took a deep breath, opening his eyes. Kai simply sat and stared at him for a few seconds.

"...wow. That was awesome." the red ninja said in awe. Kayson looked at the ground, his face flushing red.

"Yeah, it was okay."

"No, it was really good. Don't be so hard on yourself." Kai clapped a hand on Kayson's shoulder and smiled. Kayson smiled back.

"Thanks. You owe me now." he said with a smirk.

"What?" Kai looked confused.

"I sang for you. Now sing for me." Kayson said, his smirk turning into a grin.

"What? Why? No, I'm a terrible singer."

"I thought you said you were pretty good." Kayson raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... sometimes. And what would I sing, anyway?" Kai shrugged innocently.

"My Sweet Passion?" Kayson suggested. Kai gagged.

"Anything but that."

"Parengier?"

"I can't speak japanese."

"Then just dance to it."

"No way!" The two of them talked (bickered) far into the night, finally tiring out and going to sleep. Kai reflected on the night as his eyes slipped closed. He had lost lots of sleep, but he had gained a lifelong friend.

* * *

 **...What? I like Monster. I sing it to my 1 1/2 year old sister when she's cranky.** ^u^

 **My Sweet Passion is the theme song of a pink hedgehog named Amy from the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom. The whole song is basically her singing about how much she loves Sonic. Hence Kai not wanting to sing it.**

 **I should be able to get another one-shot out today, the most recent one that Angel Star Ninja requested. Wind Rider is just taking so darn long. But I wrote out the other one last night (and it's awesome how does Angel have such good ideas) so I should be able to type it in by the end of today. If the internet on my laptop doesn't blip out again.**

 **~FFF**


	6. Rising Waters

**Another one-shot! This one was requested by the epic Angel Star Ninja, who seems to have magic powers for coming up with adorable one-shot ideas. I dub her, "The Elemental Master of One-Shots". I'm the Master of Fanfictions. :D**

* * *

 **Rising Waters - Rated K+ - Hurt/Comfort**

 **Summary: When Morro and Lloyd are trapped in a cave that starts to fill with water, will either of them make it out alive? NOT A YAOI AGAIN**

 **Takes Place: Right after Chapter 18, when Lloyd and Morro are chasing Kai.**

* * *

Rising Waters

"Gotcha!" Lloyd yelled, pouncing on Kai and yanking on the green mask in his hands. "Now give it back!"

"Give up! You can't beat both of us!" Morro pinned Kai's arm that held the mask to the ground while Lloyd struggled to pull the green fabric out of his grip.

"Ouch! Okay, okay, I surrender!" Kai released the hood and Lloyd held it up in triumph. He climbed off the fire ninja as Morro let go of Kai's arm. "Ow... and I thought it was hard when there was just one of you to fight." the red ninja winced as he sat up. Lloyd laughed.

"Sorry, Kai, but you did steal my hood." Lloyd got to his feet and offered a hand to Kai, who grabbed it and got to his feet, ruffling Lloyd's hair with his free hand. Lloyd jumped away from him with a yelp. "I should've known better than to give you a hand..." he muttered, knocking Kai back down with a small energy orb. Kai grabbed Lloyd's leg as he fell, pulling the younger ninja down with him and starting to tickle him. "Ahahaha! Hey! L-lemme go!" Lloyd kicked at him fruitlessly, unable to stop laughing. "Help!"

"No way! This is payback for ganging up on me with Morro!" Kai grinned, glancing at the ghost to see him looking around the cave.

"Not to interrupt your fight, but..." Morro spoke up. "...do either of you know where we are?" Kai stopped tickling Lloyd and they both followed Morro's gaze around the dimly lit cave, lit by a flashlight in Morro's hand. Lloyd frowned and started to say something, but Kai spoke up first.

"Oh yeah! No worries, I know how to get back." he jumped up and ran off down a tunnel, yelling over his shoulder, "Race ya there!"

"Wait! Kai!" Lloyd scrambled to his feet, running after the older teen. "How can we race you if we don't know the way?" he yelled into the blackness, stopping so his footsteps wouldn't keep him from hearing Kai reply. His only answer was the echo of his own words. "...great." Lloyd turned around at a sigh from Morro.

"I guess we should follow him." the ghost said after a few moments. Lloyd nodded and the two set off down the tunnels.

RisingWaters

"We're lost..." Lloyd muttered grumpily. He and Morro had been walking through the dim tunnels for hours, and they hadn't found any sign of the camp. Lloyd was afraid they were getting farther away from camp instead of closer to, and he was getting nervous that they wouldn't make it back anytime soon. Morro, however, looked completely calm. Lloyd wondered what he was thinking about. They turned a hopeful corner and found nothing but rocks, which frustrated Lloyd further. He growled and stomped his foot on the ground childishly, eliciting a smile from Morro. "Seriously? Are we ever going to find it?!" he let the ball of energy in his hands go and it flew towards the wall, slamming into it with a crash. Morro gave him a curious glance as Lloyd exhaled, creating another ball of energy as a few pebbles tumbled down the wall. He needed to calm down. Freaking out wouldn't help anything. As he lifted his foot to start walking again, a tremor rocked the tunnel. Lloyd and Morro exchanged confused, and slightly nervous, glances. The mountain rumbled again. A crack grew in the ceiling and the two looked up to see pebbles raining from the gap. A drop of water fell through. Suddenly, there was a crash from the tunnel ahead of them and Lloyd lifted the light in his hand, revealing a pile of rocks blocking their exit. He and Morro started to back away from the crack as another tremor rocked the tunnel and a constant rumbling began as the ceiling groaned. Lloyd turned around, about to run back the way they'd came, only to see a rockslide block that way as well. They were trapped! He could get them out with a little time, though, he could just blast the rocks with an energy ba- before Lloyd could finish his thought, the ceiling split open and water started gushing through. Morro gasped, backing away from the water against the wall. Lloyd looked around wildly for a place where his ghostly friend could be safe before spotting a ledge about seven feet above the cave floor. "There!" he yelled, pointing to it with his free hand. Morro didn't waste time responding, just ran across the cave floor and jumped over the water, propelling himself to the ledge with a gust of wind. Lloyd followed, splashing through the thin layer of water on the floor and scrambling onto the platform, leaning against the wall. The two watched in horror as the water spread over the ground, and rose towards them at a rapid pace. It wouldn't be long before their safe perch was flooded. Frantically, Lloyd threw a ball of energy at the nearest tunnel's blockade, but it only caused the rocks to pack together more tightly. If they couldn't find an alternate route for the water, it would flood the room and kill them both. "W-what do we do?" Lloyd asked, his panic causing him to stutter.

"I don't know..." Morro's voice was quiet, but Lloyd could hear the fear in it. He turned to the ghost to see his eyes locked on the water, wide with terror. Lloyd felt horrible. This was all his fault. If he hadn't hit the wall in his frustration, the roof wouldn't have caved and they wouldn't be in this mess. He was going to die, and he was taking Morro along with him. As they stared into the swirling waters, Lloyd was hit by a sudden thought.

"Possess me." he said suddenly. Morro looked up from the water in surprise, pale green eyes meeting Lloyd's brighter ones.

"What? No! Never!" Morro shook his head rapidly, but Lloyd refused to budge.

"It's the only way." Lloyd insisted. "Besides, this is all my fault... I deserve it..." he muttered, staring at the ledge.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is." Morro grabbed his arm firmly, causing the younger boy to look up at him. "You could never deserve that. No one does. Maybe I do, for doing to to you before, but I won't hurt you like that again. There has to be another way." Lloyd slumped against the wall, hanging his head.

"There is no other way." Morro opened his mouth to argue, but Lloyd continued. "Maybe there is another way out, but we don't have time to figure it out. The water will rise to our level within a minute, and then you'll be gone, and I won't be able to escape by myself before I drown. Please, you have to. For both our sakes" Morro looked at the water again, which was barely a foot below them and sighed, relenting.

"Alright..." he mumbled, looking up from the water and meeting Lloyd's eyes again. Lloyd looked at the ledge as Morro reached towards him. He felt a numbing sensation and the world went black as Morro claimed the younger boy's body for his own.

RisingWaters

Morro opened Lloyd's eyes, blinking for a couple seconds to get used to Lloyd's vision and taking a deep breath. He had to get them both out of there as soon as possible, for two reasons. The first was that the cave would soon and flood and they would drown, and the second was that possession took an incredible amount of the victim's energy, and he didn't want to hurt Lloyd like that for a second longer than he had to.

 _"Don't worry, this isn't nearly as bad as when you possessed me before."_ Lloyd said in his head. _"Then you were_ trying _to hurt me."_ Morro frowned as he remembered. _"No time. We have to get out of here."_ Lloyd pointed mentally at the water and Morro looked down, surprised to see the dark liquid lapping at his ankles. If he was just a ghost still, he would be dead. _"Go underwater and blast the rocks on that side with my powers."_ Lloyd instructed. Morro turned to the rocks the green ninja was talking about, and saw that a tiny stream of water was flowing out through a gap in the rocks. If he could blast it in that one weak spot, he might be able to destroy the wall. He paused, remembering a swimming lesson from Sensei Wu long ago, and dove into the water. It was _cold._ Morro gritted Lloyd's teeth at the unfamiliar sensation and pushed them through the water towards the rocks blocking the tunnel. Just as he got there, Lloyd's lungs started to burn, and he swam to the surface to take a breath, gasping as he broke the surface. The cavern was almost completely full now, there was barely enough air left to breath. He sucked in a deep breath and swam back down in front of the wall. Concentrating, he summoned an orb of glowing, green energy in Lloyd's hands and shot it at the rocks. They creaked and groaned, and some of them dislodged, but the wall didn't cave. _"Again!"_ Lloyd shouted in his head. Morro charged another ball and smashed it into the wall. It still didn't fall. _"One m-more time!"_ Lloyd pleaded, his voice shaking from the cold that affected him as well. Morro saw black at the edges of Lloyd's vision, and Lloyd's lungs felt like they were on fire, but there was no air left to breathe. Summoning the last of his strength, Morro charged one more ball of energy. If this one didn't work, that was it. Morro slammed the orb into the rocks and the wall crumbled, sending the water gushing down the tunnel and sweeping Morro and Lloyd with it. As the water lowered, Morro fought their way to the surface, gasping for air. They washed up on dry ground at last, where Morro lay, panting, for a few moments. Slowly, he sat up, Lloyd's body aching. He blew the water off of Lloyd with a gust of wind before abandoning the younger boy's body and collapsing on the ground next to him. Lloyd slumped over as well, his eyes fluttering closed. They lay there, Morro breathing heavily, for a few minutes before Morro sat up again and turned to Lloyd, who had curled into a ball and was coughing weakly.

"Lloyd?" Morro put a hand on the young boy's icy cold arm. "Are you alright? Wake up!"

RisingWaters

Lloyd shivered violently on the ground, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. He could feel Morro's normally cold hand on his arm, which felt warm compared to the frigid temperature of his skin. Morro said something, but he couldn't make it out. His head pounded, and his entire body felt drained of heat. Like when the Overlord stole his golden power. It was ever worse than the last time Morro has possessed him, he wasn't swimming through freezing water last time. Though he had fallen in a river... he felt Morro shaking him and yelling something frantically. Lloyd strained to open his eyes, to show his friend that he was alright. When he finally managed to, all he saw was a blur of black and green. He blinked repeatedly, trying to bring the world into focus but failing. His vision shifted, and he wasn't sure what was happening until he felt Morro's warm arms around him, pulling him close. Lloyd's numb fingers twitched as he tried to move to hug him back.

"...mm a-ar'ight..." he managed to mutter. Morro ignored him and held him tighter. They sat there for hours, Morro hugging the younger ninja tight until his body temperature returned to normal and he could move again. Even then, the two friends continued to sit on the tunnel floor, squeezing each other tightly as they reassured themselves – and each other – that what almost happened didn't. Eventually, the two stood up and Morro helped Lloyd get back to camp, which turned out to be just around the corner.

* * *

 **...so at the bottom of the paper I have here, someone wrote, "If you didn't think that was cute, you need your head examined." Wonder who did that. *innocent smile***

 **So yeah. I bet Kai got yelled at once those two got back.  
**

 **Morro and Lloyd: *limping slowly into camp*  
Kai: What took you so long?  
Lloyd: ...  
Morro: We almost died.  
Lloyd: There was a rockslide and we got trapped in a cave full of water.  
Morro: And I had to possess Lloyd so we could get out.  
Lloyd: And the water was freezing!  
~Silence~  
Kai: ...but I still won the race!  
~Ten minutes later~  
Kai: COLE! JAY! ZANE! HELP! MORRO AND LLOYD ARE TRYING TO ROAST ME OVER THE CAMPFIRE!  
Lloyd: Stop squirming!  
Jay: Why are they doing that?  
Kai: Because I left them behind in the caves and they almost died.  
Jay: You'll live. *goes back to sleep***

 **Well, hope someone rescues him. Anyway, hope you liked the one-shot and wish me luck at my costume party! (I most likely won't be posting a chapter of RttCR today because party so bye)  
**

 **~FFF**


	7. Helpless

**Me: I need to do school.  
Brain: No. Write a one-shot.  
Me: But I need to do school.  
Brain: One-shot.**  
 **Me: School.**  
 **Brain: One-shot.**  
 **Me: SCHOOL!**  
 **Brain: ONE-SHOT!**  
 **Me: *writes a one-shot***

 **The story of my life. Anyway. So this is one no one requested and I wrote because I got the idea in my head and it wouldn't stop BUGGING ME. AGH. Whatever. It's nice.**

* * *

 **Helpless - Rated K - hurt/comfort**

 **Summary: Gin meets Garmadon for the first time.  
**

 **Takes place: A couple days after the end of Season 4.**

* * *

Helpless

In the countryside of the Cursed Realm, a tall ghost by the name of Ghoultar hummed happily as he floated over the short grass with a picnic basket. After finding a suitably-flat spot, he set the basket on the ground as he solidified his tail into legs. He sat down and opened the basket, pulling out a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese and, after setting them next to him on a plate, turned back to the basket. It was his first day off since he had joined Morro's ghost army, and he was determined to make it count. He pulled out a slice of cake on another plate and turned back to the bread and cheese only to discover a very strange thing: his food wasn't there. Odd. He was sure that he had already taken them out. Starting to hum again, he turned back to the basket. He had more. However, when he turned around with more food, his cake was gone. Ghoultar was now thoroughly confused. Where was his food going? Slowly, he set the bread down and glared down at it, as if daring it to vanish under his nose. He heard a rustle and he jumped, looking up and barely catching a glimpse of a purple skirt. As he watched, a little girl with purple clothes and brown hair ran away from behind a boulder, towards Prison Mountain. Ghoultar growled, but didn't bother going after her. She had too much of a head start. Shaking his head resignedly, he turned back to his food.

Helpless

Gin climbed the stone stairs as fast as she could, cramming the piece of cake into her mouth as she ran. That was close. But the food she got made up for it. She swallowed the cake as she reached the top of the staircase and ran across the stone bridge to the mountain, her tapping footsteps echoing through the pit and back. She entered the mountain and was greeted by hisses from angry prisoners. She ignored them, if they wanted this food they'd have to fight her for it. And for that she'd have to get close. She passed by rows of prisoners before getting to her destination, a small cave with two cages in it.

"Hey Clouse!" she called as she entered the room.

"Hello, Gin." the raven-haired man replied in his strange accent. Gin always thought that was funny. As she approached his cage to share her food with him, she noticed that the cage beside him was now occupied as well.

"Friend of yours?" she asked, gesturing to the sulking man in the purple headdress as she handed Clouse a chunk of bread from the loaf.

"Sort of." he said, nodding in thanks as he took the food from her. "More like my leader."

"It's Master Chen to you!" the other man interrupted in a surprisingly high-pitched voice. "I would be ruling Ninjago right now, if it weren't for those pesky ninja and their senseis!" he grumbled. Gin raised an eyebrow as Clouse spoke up.

"I believe the plural of ninja is ninja, Master." he said smoothly. "Not ninjas."

"Yes, yes, whatever. What time's lunch in this dump?" Chen demanded. Gin held up the part-loaf of bread in her hand.

"I have the only food around here. If you're hungry, you'll have to ask me."

"Give me some, then!"

"Politely." She said, rather annoyed at his superior behavior.

"Agh, very well." Chen muttered. " _Please_ may I have some food?"

"Sure!" she said brightly, breaking off a SMALL chunk of bread from her loaf and handing it to him. He snatched it away with a huff and started muttering about noodles. Gin rolled her eyes and walked away, continuing into the next cave. It didn't have anything of interest in it, last time she checked, but it always piqued her curiosity and she couldn't help checking every time she was here. As she reached the top of the hill, she stopped short at the sight of a man in the center of the cavern ahead. He had grey, fluffy-looking hair and was wearing slightly-torn ornate robes. He was half-kneeling between two long, pointy poles that stuck out of the ground, which were chained to his wrists with tight chains, tight enough that he couldn't sit or kneel. The best he could do was stand, which might be better than how he was currently hanging by his wrists. His body was limp, and he appeared to be asleep or unconscious. Or maybe he was just staring at the floor. She couldn't tell what his expression was from that distance, but he was probably in pain from the strain on his wrists. Gin frowned. What had he done to deserve this? He didn't even get a cage, like all the other prisoners. And this was the place that only the worst of the worst were sent. What had he done, killed an entire city? But usually murderers were executed. On the other hand, he would die of starvation if left in those chains for very long. Whatever the case, he looked helpless, so even if he was a crazy evil guy, he couldn't hurt her if he tried. Cautiously, Gin made her way down the hill towards the aged man. As she got within twenty feet of him, she stomped her feet on the ground loudly, to get his attention. He raised his head and she stopped short in surprise. Well, he certainly didn't look evil. He actually looked really nice. He had a sort of fatherly air around him. He looked surprised, but who wouldn't be shocked to see a seven-year-old girl wandering around the biggest prison in the sixteen realms? "Hi." she ventured after a few moments. "I'm Gin. Who are you?" the man recovered from his shock and met her eyes.

"Hello." he greeted her. His voice sounded fatherly too. Gin didn't remember her father, but she was sure that he sounded kinda like that. "I'm Sensei Garmadon." he introduced himself.

"If you don't mind me asking..." she said, her eyes straying to his chains. "...what did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Garmadon raised an eyebrow.

"Well, all the other prisoners are in cages. What did you do to get stuck in... those?" he looked over at his wrists.

"I sacrificed myself." he replied. Gin's eyes widened.

"Why? F-for what?" she asked, stumbling slightly over the words in her surprise.

"It's a bit of a long story. A man named Chen used a spell to turn himself and his followers... and me... into Anacondri. The only-"

"Anawhowhat?" Gin asked in confusion. Garmadon chuckled softly.

"Anacondri. A race of snake-human hybrids. The only way to defeat him and keep him from taking over Ninjago was to free the Anacondri Generals who were trapped here. And the only way we could do that was for the one who banished them there to take their place"

"Which was you."

"Yes. I offered myself and was banished here. I lost everything. My home, my wife, my son..." he stopped and lowered his head. Gin simply stood there, contemplating his words. If he was telling the truth, and she was pretty good at judging character, he was innocent. A hero, even. He shouldn't be here. And yet, he got worse treatment than all the other prisoners. How unfair. "I'm sorry." he said after a few moments. "I shouldn't be burdening you with my problems."

"No, i-it's okay." she said, walking closer and sitting down a few feet away from him. "Why were you turned into an... Ana.. Anaconcake?" she asked, still unsure of the name.

"Anacondri." he corrected again, her mix-up making him smile. "I trained under Chen when I was younger, and was given a snake tattoo that reacted when the spell was cast, causing me to transform along with everyone else who had the mark."

"Oh." she nodded. Didn't she know someone named Chen? Oh yeah! "Hey, I know Chen. He's in a cage just up there!" she turned and pointed up the hill, seeing Garmadon following her gaze in the corner of her vision. "Chen and Clouse." she continued. She was about to say more, but stopped when she noticed that Garmadon's face had darkened. "What?" she asked.

"Clouse and I don't have the best history." he replied through clenched teeth. "You know how he got here? He created a portal and tried to push me through it. I escaped and he fell in instead." Gin's mouth dropped open.

"Clouse did that?" she asked incredulously. He nodded. So much for being good at judging character, she thought. She knew that he must have done something wrong, to have ended up there, but why would he do something like that to Garmadon? He was so nice! They were silent for a few moments before Gin spoke up again. "Clouse never seemed that bad, but Chen's really cranky. I gave him some food and he didn't even thank me."

"You have food?" Garmadon asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah." without hesitation, she pulled the remaining bread out of the bag that was slung over her shoulder. "How long have you been in here?" she asked.

"Two or three days now." he replied. She gasped.

"You must be starving!" she exclaimed. She held out the bread and he weakly strained against his chains, reminding her that he couldn't move his arms. "Hmm." she hopped to her feet and walked up to him, holding the bread up to his face. Slowly, he took a bite, closing his eyes as he chewed. He swallowed and opened his eyes, chuckling slightly.

"You're right. I am starving. Bread has never tasted this good before." she giggled and he took another bite. Over the next half hour, she slowly fed him the rest of the bread, ignoring the gnawing hunger in her own stomach. She could always get more. Once the bread was gone, she left, promising to come back soon. As she passed Chen and Clouse's cages, Clouse remarked,

"Were you in there all this time? What were you doing in there?"

"Talking with Garmadon." she replied, not bothering to look at him as she kept walking.

" _The_ Garmadon?" Clouse asked, sounding... smug?

"That's the pest who ruined my plans!" Chen exclaimed.

"You're the pest." Gin scooped up a pebble from the ground and threw it at him. She smiled as she heard it hit him in the head and him yelping in pain. Anyone who would mock a helpless man was a pest in her book.

* * *

 **Don't ask me why, but I just love Garmadon. Not romantically. But he's just gone through so much and he deserves some love. A lot of love.**

 **Hope people enjoyed this! Next one-shot published will probably be one requested by my sister Ally.**

 **~FFF**


	8. Cooking Lessons

**Und here vee have anover vuvevy von-shot. Congrats if you understood that. This one was requested by my older sister, Ally, who owns Damien and Techi.**

* * *

 **Cooking Lessons - Rated K - Humor/General**

 **Summary: Techi convinces Damien to teach her how to cook.  
**

 **Takes place: Sometime before the Ninja meet them in Limong village.**

* * *

Cooking Lessons

"Why?"

"Techi..."

"Why?"

"Please stop asking me that."

"But why?"

"Techi!" Damien spun around to face the young inventor, who was following him around. "We already established this! You do the inventing, I'll do the cooking!"

"But I want to cook sometime!" Techi placed her hands on her hips and stared at him defiantly.

"You don't even know how!" he argued.

"Then teach me!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes you will! How about this. Teach me to cook, and I'll fix that broken coding in your RPG." she offered. He looked skeptical.

"You can do that?"

"Course I can. What do you expect from the Elemental Master of Technology?" she flipped her hair behind her head with a cocky smile. Damien gave up. He could never resist the hair flip.

"Alright." he relented. "You can come cook with me."

"Yes! Burn!" she cheered. "What are we making?"

"Something easy." he replied, turning and walking towards the kitchen. "I call it: Electric Sparks chicken."

"Why do you call it that?" she asked curiously, following him.

"Because I cook it in the Electric Sparker." Damien gestured to an odd-looking contraption that stood in the the corner of the kitchen. Techi had whipped it up out of an electric chair and a microwave a couple years back.

"Ah." she nodded. "How do we start?"

"Well, first we need the chicken. There's some chicken in the fridge. Go get it, please." he replied as he tried to locate his cookbook, which always seemed to be missing. After a moment, he found it underneath a pile of chocolate wrappers. He opened his up to the correct page and read the recipe quickly to remind himself of the steps. Just then, he heard a crash and turned around to see Techi, covered head to toe in broken eggs.

"I _told_ you not to put those on the top shelf." she deadpanned. Damien burst out laughing at the sight, and soon she was giggling too. "Get your own chicken." she remarked after a few moments. "I'm going to go clean up." she squished out of the room, leaving an eggy trail of footprints behind her. Damien sighed, shaking his head, and went to go get a mop.

CookingLessons

Damien put the mop back in its place and exhaled slowly. He had cleaned most of the rooms in the house, since Techi had to traverse most of the building to get to a suitable place to clean up. She eventually made it back, and, under Damien's instruction, had started a couple pieces of chicken cooking in a saucepan on the stove. They were almost done, and Techi was singing some song in japanese while she waited. Damien had asked what it was, but she refused to tell him anything but that it was "her jam".

"Oi, Damien, is this chicken supposed to be spitting at me?" she called. He turned to see boiling hot chicken juice flying out of the pan at her.

"Put the lid on." he called across the room. She did so, and stuck her tongue out at the pan triumphantly.

"Ha! Try and hit me now!" she dared it. Damien rolled his eyes with a smiled and walked over. He took off the lid – at which she gasped and jumped away – and poked the meat a couple times before announcing that it was done and taking the pan off the burner. Techi cautiously edged over to it and glared at it for a few seconds as he set it on a hotpad. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now we need an onion." he walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a large onion. He peeled the skin off it and set it on a cutting board, chopping it in half. "Watch what I do." he instructed as he diced one half of the white vegetable. Techi popped up beside him to watch and he was struck by the fact that she was almost a foot smaller than him. After he finished chopping, he scraped the diced pieces into a bowl and handed Techi the knife, saying, "Now you try." she made one cut before narrowing her eyes and asking suspiciously,

"Why do my eyes hurt?"

"Not exactly sure." he replied. "But it has something to do with onion juice."

"Bleh." she blinked rapidly as she tried to cut the onion.

"Careful." Damien advised, grabbing her hands from where he towered over her. He directed her hands at she sliced the white vegetable, helping her keep from cutting herself.. They eventually finished cutting it, and, as Techi walked in circles muttering about being blind, Damien removed the chicken from the saucepan and put the piced onion in its place. He then started to chop up the chicken. Techi popped up next to him and "hmm"ed.

"Can I cut it?" she asked.

"No. You go get some rice started." he replied, not looking up. Techi shrugged and bounced off to measure out the rice.

CookingLessons

Damien shook the bottle of red sauce and poured it expertly over the sizzling dish. The chicken, along with the onion and some brocoli, were simmering on the saucepan on the stove, and now there was only one step left.

"Should I fire up the Electric Sparker?" Techi asked cheerfully.

"Go ahead." he nodded as he pulled the food off the stove. Techi tapped the Electric Sparker's "On" button and it started up. Damien dumped the still-sizzling food in and closed the top, backing away. "Now we need to remember to be careful with this. Last time we used it we almost burned the house down, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." she nodded casually. "Let's do this!" she pressed a button, and, instantly, the food was shocked with 10,000 volts of electricity. The lights went out in the kitchen, along with the rest of the house, since the Electric Sparker was taking all the energy. Suddenly, the machine began to make a high-pitched whining sound. Techi jumped forward to turn it off, but it was too late. The machine exploded, sending them both flying. A few seconds later, Damien sat up with a groan.

"Darn... I thought we had it that time. Guess you'll have to fix it again, huh Techi?" No answer. "Techi?"

"That was awesome!" Techi cheered, popping out of a pile of rubble and nearly giving Damien a heart attack. "And this food is delicious!" she added, eating a piece of chicken. "The explosion at the end gives it just the right flavor. Messes up the kitchen a bit, though."

"Yeah..." he coughed on a wisp of smoke as he got to his feet. "No kidding." he grabbed the bowl of food, which had survived the explosion, and made his way to the kitchen with Techi. As they ate dinner, Techi declared that it was the best food she had ever eaten, and she would never miss out on cooking with Damien again.

* * *

 **Vell zat vent vell. Vhy am I talking like ziz? I haf no idea.  
**

 **Electric Sparks Chicken is a spinoff of a recipe my Dad made up. It's a mock-chinese recipe. The only difference between it and Electric Sparks Chicken is that we don't electrocute it. xD Anyway. Hope someone liked this! When Ally read it she said she was going to die laughing, but they're her characters, soooo... anyway. Might get another one-shot up today. Oh, and, everyone can feel free to give me one-shot ideas. I love writing them. :D**

 **~FFF**


	9. Comfort

**Here ve haf anozer von-shot. Ziz von is Angel ztar Ninja's mozt rezent requezt. I did zeez von first because I vaz upzet and I vanted to torture zome characterz. Vhy are you gifing me zat look? You zink I'm evil? Oh, you're wondering why I was talking like that? It's one-shot talk. Heheh.**

* * *

 **Comfort - Rated K+ - angst/hurt/comfort**

 **Summary: If I told you, I'd ruin the plot heheh. Don't worry, it's not that scary. *evil grin***

 **Takes place: Sometime in Mount Vetruvius. After Tara runs off.**

* * *

Comfort

Morro walked across the small cave towards Lloyd, who was standing by a wall. He didn't know where the others were, but it didn't matter. This was his chance.

"Hey Morro." Lloyd greeted as the ghost approached him.

"Hey." Morro replied, meeting Lloyd's trusting eyes.

"Is something wrong?" the green ninja asked, frowning. "You have a weird look on his face."

"I do?" It took Morro a couple seconds to register the smug smile on his lips. "No, nothing's wrong." Lloyd shrugged, smiling, at his answer. "Not yet, anyway." the ghost muttered as Lloyd turned away.

"Huh? What did you s-" Lloyd was cut off by a gust of wind from Morro, that slammed him into the wall. The green ninja groaned as he slid down the wall onto the floor.

"Wh-why did you do that?" he asked, staring up at Morro with pain-filled eyes.

"Revenge." the ghost replied with a smirk. "For taking _my_ place as the Green Ninja."

"B-but I thought you were my friend!" Lloyd said, trying to get to his feet. Morro put a foot on the younger boy's chest, pinning him to the floor.

"I was never your _friend_ , Lloyd. All I wanted was revenge on you and your ninja friends. Once you trusted me, it was simple enough to get the rest to feel the same." Morro laughed. "Tara's lies actually came pretty close to the truth. Such a pity that you were too naive to believe her."

"I trusted you..." Lloyd whispered, struggling weakly under Morro's foot.

"Your mistake." the ghost boy lifted his foot, but before Lloyd could move he swung it back down, kicking the younger boy hard in the side. Lloyd cried out in pain as he rolled a couple feet and hit the wall. "I hope you have plenty of energy, Lloyd, because I'll be needing it." Lloyd's eyes opened wide as he realized what Morro meant. "That's right. I'm going to possess you. And then I'll kill your friends, one by one. They won't dare hurt you. And when I'm done..." Morro grinned at Lloyd's terrified face. "I'll kill you."

"No..." Lloyd whispered weakly.

"Oh yes." Morro knelt on one knee beside the terrified boy. "Say goodbye to your friends, Lloyd. They won't be around much longer." Lloyd moaned and his eyes closed as Morro pushed his hands through the human boy's flesh. As the ghost took over Lloyd's body, a tiny voice in his head told him to stop, that he shouldn't be doing this. But he ignored it. Vengeance would be his.

Comfort

"No!" Morro cried out as he woke up, jerking upright, He blinked a couple times in the darkness and let out a shaky breath. A nightmare. He looked around the dark cave, breathing shakily. Zane sat against one of the walls, awake, his bright blue eyes glowing in the darkness and illuminating part of the cave. Morro pushed himself backwards against a wall and pulling his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He focused on Zane's glow, since whenever he closed his eyes he saw Lloyd's terrified face. For a moment, he considered waking Lloyd up, but dismissed the thought almost immediately. Lloyd wouldn't comfort him. He would hate him. Morro turned his face to the ground, wishing he weren't a ghost so he could cry the pain away.

Comfort

Lloyd sat up in the darkness, staring at Morro as he huddled up next to the cave wall. The blond boy had woken up to Morro's cry of anguish a few minutes ago, and had watched the ghost silently as he leaned against the wall. Lloyd wasn't sure what was going on until he saw Morro's face. He looked sad, and almost angry. Maybe a nightmare? Lloyd got to his feet and moved soundlessly across the cave towards his friend.

"Morro?" he whispered. Morro gasped and turned his head to face him as Lloyd sat down against the wall. "Are you okay?" the ghost was silent for a few moments before answering.

"...no."

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked in concern.

"Just a dream." Morro closed his eyes, opening them abruptly a moment later and looking away instead.

"What about?"

"...I-I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Lloyd asked, frowning in confusion.

"You'll hate me." the ghost murmured. Lloyd's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Hate you? Why would I hate you because of a dream?" Morro shook his head slightly and Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You can tell me. I promise I won't hate you."

"I..." Morro paused. "Alright." he took a shaky breath. "We were in a cave. J-just the two of us. And I went up to you and slammed you into a wall. I told you that I was getting revenge for not being the green ninja." Morro paused to take a breath and Lloyd was silent as he absorbed the information. "I kicked you a-and told you I was going to possess you and use your body to kill the other ninja. And then kill you. You were terrified." Morro's hands were shaking and he clenched them into fists. "I possessed you. And that's when I woke up." he paused. "I-I couldn't control myself. I don't want to h-hurt you. But in my dream, I..." Morro trailed off for a few moments before continuing. "...I enjoyed it. I wanted to hurt you. And I couldn't stop myself..." Lloyd started at the ghost, who buried his face in his hands. No wonder he thought Lloyd would hate him. That dream sounded terrible. Morro _looked_ terrible.

"Hey, it's okay." Lloyd said softly. "I don't hate you. It was just a dream, and I don't blame you for it."

"But I blame myself..." Morro whispered into his hands.

"You shouldn't." Lloyd scooted closer to the ghost and wrapped his arms around him. "It was just a dream. You would never really do that to me, would you?" Morro shook his head hesitantly. "Then don't worry about it." Lloyd tightened his arms around the shaking ghost, who hugged him back.

"Th-thank you..." Morro whispered. Lloyd hummed softly in reply. He really didn't like seeing Morro like this. Scared, alone, and afraid to ask for help for fear of rejection. He always knew Morro to be strong, not afraid of anything. He was glad, though, that Morro trusted him like he did.

"You can always talk to me." Lloyd murmured. He felt Morro nod and they were both silent for a while. Lloyd wasn't sure how long they sat there together before his mind started to get heavy. "Morro... mm tired." he whispered.

"Sleep with me. Please." Morro whispered back. Lloyd nodded and Morro lay down on his bedroll, pulling Lloyd down beside him. Lloyd closed his eyes, laying his head on the ground and smiling as Morro put his arms around him and pulled him close. Sometimes everyone needs some comfort, he thought before his mind succumbed to slumber. Even Morro.

Comfort

Morro lay on his side the ground, holding the sleeping green ninja in his arms as the images from his dream faded from his mind. Lloyd's reaction to his dream had surprised him greatly, but he was thankful for it. He remembered when Lloyd had had a nightmare, only a few nights before. He knew how it felt when someone you care about is hurt. It was much worse, though, when you were hurting them. That must be how Lloyd felt when Morro had attacked the other ninja with his body. Morro had felt horrible before Lloyd had talked to him. But now he felt... warm, because he knew Lloyd didn't hate him for his dream. He recalled something he had said to Lloyd once. _"You could never do it alone, could you, Lloyd? Weak! Need others! I, I need no one!"_ Well, he was eating those words now, curled up with Lloyd in the darkness. But he didn't care. Lloyd shifted in his sleep and Morro loosened his grip on him slightly. He loved Lloyd like a brother, and he was glad Lloyd loved him the same way. Morro closed his eyes and saw only blackness. His nightmare was gone.

* * *

 **OH ZE FLUFF WOW**

 **Sooo... surgery next week. I will not be posting much for a little while after that. I also just got permission from my dad to play MORROWIND, the first game in the Elder Scrolls series. I am very excited to play it because MORRO.**

 **Welp, hope u liked this! Byezies!**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. If u like fluff, check out "Safety Blanket" by purpleninjaGO . It's family fluff between Sensei Wu and young Morro. ^ ^**


	10. Genderswap

**Random story time:**

 **Me: So Sarah, do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?  
Sarah: Yeah.  
Me: What about?  
Sarah: I want a story where Morro and Lloyd are fighting and Morro stabs Lloyd and kills him.  
Me: ...  
Sarah: Because I really love Morro and hate Lloyd.  
Me: ...I'm done.**

 **NO REALLY SHE SAID THAT. AND SHE'S 4 YEARS OLD. OY. Well, maybe not those exact words. But it was pretty close.**

 **Ahem. So this is one of Angel Star Ninja's requests.**

* * *

 **Genderswap - Rated K+ - Humor/Romance**

 **Summary: Tara casts a spell on Morro and Indigo that switches their genders.**

 **Takes place: A couple weeks after RttCR**

* * *

Genderswap

Morro sat on his bed in the monastery, reading a book about ancient fighting techniques.

"Hey Morro!" He looked up to see Indigo phasing through the wall that separated their rooms.

"Hey." he smiled at her and she smiled back. "Something up?"

"Nah. Just wanted to say hi." she sat down next to him. "Whatcha reading?" he held up the book and she read the title out loud. " 'Sensei Yang's Guide to Ancient Fighting Techniques'. That's a mouthful. Who's Sensei Yang?"

"A dead Sensei. Apparently his ghost haunts his old temple, though." he closed the book and set it beside him. "Are you sure there's nothing you wanted?" he asked, studying the look on her face.

"Well... I've been having some trouble with poessession. I can't figure it out."

"You've been trying to possess things?" Morro raised an eyebrow.

"Not living things. Just rocks and stuff." Indigo clarified. "But I can't seem to make it work. Can you help me?"

"Well... possessing inanimate objects is harder than possessing living things." Morro said. "Because when you're possessing a human – or other creature – you're using their energy. Rocks and sand and anything else you might use don't have any energy for you to steal. But possessing a human is very hard on them, so you shouldn't do it unless you have to. If you're being attacked by someone like... Master Chen, it's fine to possess them. He's evil. Though, if you possess someone, though you can see their thoughts, they can see yours too. And if they're strong enough, they can kick you out. So be careful." Indigo nodded.

"But how exactly _do_ you possess something?" she asked.

"Well, you have to be in contact with it, for starters." Morro picked up the book next to him with one hand and pushed his other hand through it. "Then you have to concentrate." he vanished into the book and Indigo blinked in surprise.

"Cool. So a ghost can possess anything?" she asked. He floated out of the book and sat down next to her before replying.

"Almost anything. Deepstone and liquids are the only things I know of. Now you try." she nodded, reaching over and touching the book. She stared at it silently for a few moments before vanishing and causing the book to glow a ghostly green. "You did it! Good job!" Morro praised. The book vibrated slightly then was still. A few seconds later, Indigo flew out of it, crashing into him and knocking them both off the bed. Morro opened his eyes to see her lying on top of him.

"Sorry!" she rolled off him and sat up. "I couldn't figure out how to get out and panicked."

"It's okay." he sat up as well with a smile. She smiled back shyly. Neither of them noticecd the figure watching them through the window.

Genderswap

"Romance." Tara muttered. "Bleh." At least they weren't kissing- oops, spoke too soon. She made a faces as the couple in the monastery kissed. Well, at least they were distracted. Tara bent down out of sight, tugging a piece of paper out of her pocket. She had discovered an old spell page at the bottom of one of her adopted father's old chests. She didn't know what it did, but who better to test it on than her least favorite couple, Morro and Indigo? Tara snickered and raised herself up to the window again, peering through cautiously. They were no longer kissing, fortunately, just lying on the floor together. Tara and Clouse had come to visit the ninja, and were currently staying in a hotel in New Ninjago City. She had snuck over to test out the spell as long as they were there. Tara glanced at the paper, onto which she had copied the spell, and began to quietly recite the words. As she got abaout halfway through, the pair in the room started to glow, much to their surprise. When she said the last word, the two flew apart in a flash of light, slamming into opposite walls. Tara's eyes widened as the light dimmed and she saw what she had done. She backed away from the window before turning and running away from the monastery. She was in _so_ much trouble.

Genderswap

Indigo opened her eyes, shaking her head slowly to clear it. What was that about? She coughed on some dust that must have come from the wall she smacked into and blinked a few times. Where was Morro?

"You okay?" a somewhat-familiar voice asked, followed by a startled gasp. Indigo looked up to see a strange girl lying against the wall opposite her. A ghost girl. With a green streak in her hair.

" _Morro_?!" Indigo covered her mouth at the unfamiliar voice her body was making and looked down at herself. She was a boy. Morro was a girl. "Oh ghost. What happened to us?!" she- he demanded to no one in particular, jumping to his feet. Morro stood up as well, looking down at her body.

"Um..." she trailed off. "I don't know." Indigo heard a crack and spun around to look out the window.

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to Tara, who was fleeing the monastery grounds. "Tara did this!"

"She's going to pay." Morro muttered. "First, though, we need to figure out how to change ourselves back."

"But how? We don't know anything about magic!" Indigo stared down at the dress he was wearing. "Arg, I need to change." Morro coughed.

"Yeah." she turned to a chest of drawers and opened one, pulling out a green shirt and a pair of jeans and tossing them to Indigo. "Put these on." Indigo nodded, moving behind a screen and changing quickly before coming back out.

"You're lucky. Girls can wear just about anything." he remarked.

"Right." Morro muttered, staring down at herself again. "I still want my old body back."

"Why? You look so cute as a girl!" Indigo grinned.

"I do not!" Morro folded her arms. "Don't call me that!"

"You do! And you're not nearly as menacing." Indigo continued. Morro only frowned.

"Going back to our problem..." she coughed. "Who _does_ know something about magic?"

"The only other person I can think of is Clouse, and he's in Limong." he replied.

"Tara is supposed to be there. Maybe they're in town. We should go talk to Lloyd." she turned towards the door, but Indigo ran up behind her and scooped her into his arms. "Hey! Put me down!" Morro exclaimed.

"No way! I never get to carry you!" Indigo said cheerfully. "This might be my only chance!"

"I swear you're enjoying this..." Morro muttered, struggling.

"You shouldn't swear. It's a sign of weak verbal skills." Indigo laughed and pushed the door open with his foot, walking out into the hall outside.

Genderswap

Lloyd was walking through the basement of the monastery, about to go play video games with Jay, when he heard a shout and a ghost girl tumbled down the stairs. Lloyd turned around in surprise to face the figure, whose face he couldn't see due to her facing away from him.

"...Indigo?" he asked after a few seconds. "Is that you?"

"Nope!" a bright voice called from the top of the stairs. A teenage ghost boy clomped down the stairs a moment later, as the girl on the ground picked herself up. The boy stopped next to the girl, whom Lloyd noticed had a green streak in her hair. It took the green ninja a few seconds to figure out what was going on.

"Morro?! Indigo?!" Lloyd choked. "Wh-what happened to you two?!"

"Tara cursed us." Morro replied, folding her arms angrily. "And Indigo dropped me down the stairs."

"You were struggling!" Indigo defended himself.

"Why were you carrying Morro?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

"It's fun." Indigo shrugged. "What? She's so cute!"

"I am _not_ cute!" Morro hissed, blushing slightly. "Stop calling me that!"

"Hold on. Tara cursed you?" Lloyd put up a hand to stop them. "How?"

"Don't know." Indigo shrugged. "We got blasted with a spell and then we saw her running away."

"And why are you wearing my clothes?" Lloyd looked at the forest-green shirt Indigo was wearing.

"'Cause all I've got is dresses." he replied. "And you gave some of your clothes to Morro, so she gave me some of yours. Any idea why Tara was here? She's supposed to be all the way across Ninjago."

"Um... they're supposed to be coming for a visit sometime soon. She and Clouse. I guess they're staying somewhere nearby and Tara came over here to play some pranks."

"Great! So now all we have to do is find her, make her change us back, and beat the stuffing out of her!" Indigo grinned.

"Exactly." Morro agreed.

"Um... maybe _without_ beating her up." Lloyd said hesitantly.

"She deserves it." Morro muttered.

"Hey Lloyd! You coming?" Jay called from the game room.

"Um... sometime!" Lloyd yelled back.

"Can we find Tara without letting everyone else know about our... problem?" Morro asked.

"Sure." Lloyd nodded. Unfortunately, Jay walked over a moment later,

"Who are you talking t-" his eyes opened wide and he burst out laughing. "W-w-whoaa! What happened t-to you guys?!" he choked out, laughing hysterically.

"Tara cast a spell on us." Indigo replied. His deep voice only made Jay laugh harder.

"It's not funny, Jay!" Morro narrowed her eyes. Jay dropped to his knees, clutching his sides and shaking with laughter.

"I gotta... I gotta go t-tell the others..." he stumbled to his feet and ran up the stairs, still laughing.

"Jay, no! Come back!" Lloyd yelled after the blue ninja, who either ignored him or didn't hear him. Lloyd turned back to Morro and Indigo with a frown. "Well, so much for that."

"Should we hide?" Indigo asked.

"Too late." Morro shook her head as the rest of the ninja, led by Jay, ran down the stairs towards them. Kai's mouth dropped open, Zane blinked, Cole whistled, and Nya just stared.

"Whoa. Tara did _that_?! Ha!" Cole snorted.

"Aww, you make such a cute girl, Morro." Kai said with a grin. Morro slammed him into the basement wall with a gust of wind.

"Kai!" Lloyd exclaimed, running over to the fire ninja to see if he was okay. "Probably best not to say that." he whispered, and Kai nodded dizzily.

"I sense that you are both agitated by the attention," Zane remarked. "and are eager to return to your normal forms."

"Well, I don't know about eager." Indigo hugged Morro from behind, whom Lloyd noticed was now shorter. Morro sighed, but didn't struggle.

"I'm eager." she muttered. Indigo chuckled.

"All I can say is... poor you." Nya shook her head.

"...thanks." Morro said. "Can we get back to changeing us back?"

"Right." Lloyd walked over, Kai stumbling dizzily behind him. "So, find Tara."

"Good luck with that." Kai muttered, shaking his head rapidly. "She could be anywhere in New Ninjago City!"

"Has anyone seen Tara?" they looked up the stairs to see Sensei Wu standing in the doorway. "Clouse is at the door. He says she's gone missing." the aged man raised an eyebrow at Morro and Indigo. "Who are those two?"

"That's actually a funny story..." Jay chuckled.

"And yeah, we have seen Tara. She switched Morro and I's genders." Indigo spoke up. Sensei was silent for a few seconds as he realized what had happened.

"Ah. That explains her disappearence. She's probably hiding." he nodded. "Prehaps Clouse can change you back. Come up here." he walked away from the stairs and the group walked up after him to talk to Clouse.

Genderswap

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." Clouse shook his head slowly. "I don't know what spell she used to change you, and trying the wrong counterspell could... mutate you further." Morro and Indigo exchanged disappointed glances from where they were sitting next to each other on a couch. "She'll probably show up back at the hotel we're staying in, though, eventually."

"Eventually is better than nothing," Morro muttered. "But I'd rather have my body back now."

"Same here." Indigo nodded. "As fun as it is being able to carry Morro around." Morro glared at him and he laughed. "Well, go look for her."

"I'll do that. I will let you know when I find her." Clouse nodded in farewell and left the room.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Tellen asked, entering the room. "Who are those guys?"

"I'm leaving." Morro stood up and walked out, heading towards her room. Indigo followed, leaving Tellen confused.

"Was it something I said?" he asked.

"No, it..." Lloyd let out a slow breath, running his hand down his face. "Never mind." the green ninja hopped to his feet. "Let's go see what's for dinner."

Genderswap

Lloyd didn't see either Morro or Indigo for the next day and a half. He assumed they were just hiding in their rooms. Finally, he was reading a book when a shriek alerted him to Tellen dashing past him with a camera in his hand. Indigo followed not long after.

"Hey! What's going on?" Lloyd asked, jumping to his feet and grabbing Indigo's arm as she ran past.

"Tellen was spying on us!" Indigo snarled. "He was at our window taking pictures!"

"Seriously?" Lloyd turned to the younger boy, who was standing at the other end of the room grinning innocently.

"Um... yeah. What?" he asked at Lloyd's look. "Their window is the perfect height for spying! It was dangerous, though. What they were doing was _really_ disgusting."

"It was _not_!" Indigo hissed. "We were just kissing!"

"Whatever." Tellen shrugged. "Still disgusting." Indigo groaned and yanked his hand away from Lloyd. "Not only that, but I barely escaped with my life." the student continued.

"I don't think you have yet." Lloyd coughed.

"Nope." Indigo dashed the remaining distance across the room before Tellen could react and snatched the camera, pressing a button on it and starting to delete pictures.

"Aww..." Tellen muttered.

"So, where's Morro?" Lloyd asked. "I would've thought that he would go after Tellen, not you."

"In her room." Indigo replied without looking up. "She doesn't like being a girl. She had me go after Tellen because "I'm the strong one", but I think it's just payback for me picking her up the other day."

"Well, at least you're used to the switched pronouns." Tellen folded his arms. "I still can't seem to get used to calling Morro "she"."

"Me either." Lloyd shook his head as Indigo handed the camera back to Tellen. "I hope we can fix-" he was cut off my a knock at the door. He ran to open it and found Clouse outside, with a sulking Tara behind him. "Clouse! You found Tara!" the blond boy exclaimed.

"Indeed I did." Clouse gave him a tight smile. "She's here to reverse the spell. And apologize." he turned and fixed his daughter with a meaningful stare. "Right, Tara?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tara muttered, arms crossed. "Let's get this over with." Clouse rolled his eyes at her behavior and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the monastery.

Genderswap

"I almost don't want to turn you back." Tara said with a smirk as she stood in front of Morro and Indigo. "Actually, I don't want to change you back at all. The only reason I am is, one, Clouse told me to, and two, I have recieved a total of six death threats in the ten minutes I've been here."

"Then this makes seven." Morro growled. "Change us back _right_ _now_ or I'll rip your head off your shoulders."  
"Sounds painful. Alright." Tara closed her eyes and began to chant in another language. A few moments later, the two started to glow. Lloyd started to take a couple steps back, when suddenly there was a bright flash of light and everyone in the room was thrown against a wall.

"...are we back to normal?" Morro asked after a few moments, his voice sounding deeper than before.

"You sound normal." Indigo replied. "And so do- oh no."

"What?" Lloyd looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Look." Morro growled. Lloyd blinked a few times in the now-dim room, trying to figure out if what he was seeing was right, then looked again. Morro and Indigo were now a deep shade of purple. Tara was lying on her back on the floor, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, it's funny, huh?!" Indigo launched herself at Tara, who rolled to the side with a yelp. "Change us back!" the ghost girl yelled as Tara jumped to her feet and fled the room, the violet ghosts running after her.

"I can actually fix that." Clouse remarked. "Whenever they're done..." Lloyd shook his head and ran after them to break up the fight.

* * *

 **...Tara's so doomed. That was a long one-shot. Sorry it's kinda late, but it took a while to write it because it was long. I had so much fun with this... I even drew genderbent Indigo. The picture's on my deviantArt, which is SaffyTheHedgie.**

 **So, while I was doing this, I wondered what the Ninja's names would be if they were genderbent. So here are some things I came up with.**

 **Kai = Kia  
Jay = Jade  
Cole = Nicole  
Zane = Zyna  
Lloyd = Lydia  
Nya = Noah**

 **So yay.**


	11. Boy on a String

**Zo, ziz iz anozer of Angel Ztar Ninja'z requezts. Boy on a String eez zee title of a zong. I confezz that I don't know exzactly vhat it meanz, but it zeemed to fit it vell. Anyvay. Az for zee genre, I'm not zure if ziz is angst, but it zeemed to fit. Vhatever.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Samantha Rutledge: Yeah, I think he overreacted a bit. xD What do you mean, blooper?**

 **Angel: Morro would be an adorable girl. I want to draw her. ^ ^**

 **Windy: Yeah, poor Morro. xD Indigo seemed to enjoy it, though.**

* * *

 **Boy on a String - Rated K+ - angst/hurt/comfort**

 **Summary: Morro misses being human, so Lloyd makes him a kite to try and make him feel better.**

 **Takes place: Between chapters 3 and 4.**

* * *

Boy on a String

Lloyd quietly walked up the stairs of the monastery. He hadn't seen Morro in a while, and he wanted to make sure the ghost was okay. The green ninja walked down the hallway before stopping and knocking quietly at the ghost's door.

"Hey Morro? Can I come in?" he called softly through the door.

"...yeah..." he heard Morro's faint reply. Lloyd opened the door and stepped into the dark room. He blinked a couple times as his eyes adjusted to the light before locating Morro sitting on the edge of his bed. One of the ghost's hands was lying on his lap, and the other was resting on the bed, halfway phased through it. Morro's head was lowered and his eyes were closed. He looked... sad.

"Is something wrong?" Lloyd took a hesitant step towards him. In all honesty, he was still afraid of Morro, since the ghost had hurt him a lot, mentally and physically, when he had possessed him. Lloyd was trying to trust him, but... it was hard.

"...no." Morro murmured, opening his eyes and staring at the floor. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Lloyd swallowed his fear and walked closer to the ghost. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Morro's hand clenched into a fist. "I said I'm fine." Lloyd walked over and sat down on the bed next to the ghost. Morro turned his head to look at him for a moment before turning back to the floor and sighing, evidently realizing that he wasn't going to go away. "Alright, something is wrong. Happy?"

"Nope." Lloyd shook his head. "What's bothering you?"

"It doesn't matter!" Morro snapped, whirling to face the younger boy. Startled, Lloyd jerked away, shrinking back in fear as adrenaline made his heart rate speed up. Morro's angry expression faded and he turned away. "It doesn't matter." he repeated quietly. "You can't help." Lloyd's breathing slowed as he recovered and he clasped his shaking hands together to keep them still. Morro wasn't going to hurt him. "I'm sorry." the ghost spoke up softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's okay." Lloyd replied. "I don't know if I can help, but, sometimes it helps to just talk to someone about your problems." Morro was silent for a few seconds.

"...I miss being human." he looked down at the hand that was lying through the mattress. "I'm tired of not being able to touch things, and feel things. Tired of being a... monster." Lloyd was surprised. He knew that being a ghost couldn't be fun, but it never occurred to him that it made Morro upset. "I told you you couldn't help." Morro muttered at Lloyd's silence.

"...oh..." Lloyd murmured. "...I'm sorry." Morro's shoulders slumped and he looked down at the floor. Lloyd sat there for a few moments longer before standing up and walking out of the room. He descended the stairs slowly, trying to think of something he could do to make Morro feel better. As he reached the bottom of the staircase, he almost crashed right into Jay, who was dashing through the hall at high speeds.

"Whoa! Careful, Lloyd!" the blue ninja's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Got something on your mind?"

"Uh... yeah." Lloyd shook his head. "It's nothing. What are you doing?" he asked, noticing Jay's soot-streaked face.

"Building a rocket-powered kite! For flying when there's no wind!" Jay replied with a grin. "Keeps blowing up in my face, though. Literally. 'Cause, you see, I added too much nitroglycerine with my lutetium oxide and it..." Lloyd tuned Jay out as the wheels in his head began to turn. A kite. Why didn't he think of that? When Morro had possessed him, one of the memories he'd seen in the ghost's mind was of his flying a kite as a little boy. It would be a perfect gift. "Lloyd? Hello? You listening?" Jay tapped him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Um... no. Sorry Jay. But I need your help with something. Come with me." Lloyd grabbed the lightning master's arm and dragged him off towards the monastery workshop.

BoyOnAString

Lloyd once again climbed the monastery stairs, a roll of black and green fabric tucked safely under his arm. He and Jay had made a kite for Morro, modeled after the one he'd seen in Morro's memory. It was almost exactly the same, the only difference being the color. Instead of red, gold, and brown, this kite was shades of green and black. He hoped Morro liked it. The green ninja knocked lightly on Morro's door and waited for an answer. None came. Confused, Lloyd creaked the door open.

"Morro?" he whispered. He looked in to see Morro curled up on his bed, asleep. Lloyd walked silently into the room, stopping next to the ghost, who shifted in his sleep. He considered waking him up for a moment, but decided against it. Morro would probably be angry, and besides, he looked peaceful when he was asleep. He had seen him sleeping a couple times before, when he had locked Lloyd in a cage and left his body, but he hadn't had time to watch him sleep then. He had been busy trying (and failing) to escape. Lloyd shuddered at the memory and pushed it out of his mind, turning to a table next to the bed and setting the rolled-up kite onto it. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from nearby and scribbled a quick note for Morro to find before exiting the room, leaving the ghost to sleep.

BoyOnAString

Morro's eyes opened slowly and he blinked tiredly a couple times as he raised his head. Someone had been in here. It took him a couple seconds to register the green object on the table next to his bed. He sat up slowly to find a roll of fabric with a note lying on top. He picked up the paper, reading the words on it silently. _"Jay helped me make this for you. I hope you like it. -Lloyd"_ Morro unrolled the cloth to find the last thing he expected: a kite. Morro froze, staring at the object in front of him. It... it was just like the first kite he'd ever flown. The one Wu had given him. Except, this one was green and black, the colors of his clothes. Lloyd had made this for him? He felt... warm. Morro touched the fabric gently, then rolled it back up, picking the kite up and standing up, heading towards the window. He pulled the shutters open and climbed out, dropping twenty feet to the ground outside and using a gust of wind to slow his fall slightly. He straightened up and, out of habit, glanced back and forth to see if anyone was around. Seeing no one, he ran away from the monastery into the woods, towards a clearing he knew was there. He would thank Lloyd for the kite when he got back.

BoyOnAString

"Aaaand... BLASTOFF!" Jay yelled, pressing a button. A jet of fire spurted out of the boosters on the dragon kite, sending it shooting into the air. Lloyd yelped and ducked as a shower of sparks flew in his direction and Jay cheered. The only way Jay had agreed to help him with Morro's kite was if he agreed to help the lightning ninja with his explosive new invention. As if on cue, the rockets exploded, showering the two ninja with fire and pieces of metal. Lloyd fell over backwards as a chunk of metal hit him in the forehead and he groaned.

"Remind me why you thought this was a good idea?" the green ninja muttered.

"Don't worry, I can make this work!" Jay said brightly. "Where's the kite?"

"Probably burned up." Lloyd muttered, rubbing his aching head.

"Nah. Hey, is that it?" Jay pointed up and Lloyd looked to see a tiny shape floating in the sky in the distance.

"I doubt it, it looks really far awa- hold it." Lloyd shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand and looked closer. "I think that's Morro's kite!"

"Wow. You mean he's actually flying it?" Jay shook his head. "That's unnerving."

"How?" Lloyd asked in confusion.

"He's not being a weird, creepy ghost guy. He's just flying a kite. I mean, how weird is that?" Jay shrugged. Lloyd rolled his eyes and turned back to the kite in the distance. Morro was wrong. He could help after all.

* * *

 **Poor little Morro. So shy.**

 **Why can't I stop watching Minecraft music videos. I don't even play Minecraft! Oh well. I was going to say something here... but I forgot what it was. Oh right! Thanks for praying for my surgery tomorrow, everyone. I'll actually probably get another one-shot out today or tomorrow, since I wrote one a couple weeks ago and I need to finish typing it in.**

 **~FFF**


	12. Pawn

**First off, Angel, I would be very surprised if you liked this, cause it's about Morro and Indigo and features Bansha being a jerk. Sorry. I just wanted to write this scene for some reason. No one requested it. It's not really _romance_ , per se, but I gave it that genre because... mm... well, just read it.**

* * *

 **Pawn - Rated K+ - Angst/Romance**

 **Summary: Can't think of a good summary for this.**

 **Takes Place: Between "Hope" and "Failure".**

* * *

Pawn

"Well..." Bansha hissed, floating slowly into Morro and Indigo's cell. "this is intresting. What's going on in here?" the two prisoners exchanged glances.

"Nothing." Indigo replied after a moment, mentally smacking herself when she realized how suspicious that sounded.

"Nothing? Don't play dumb with me." the female ghost let out an annoyed sigh. "Who was that man you were watching through the window?"

"Which one? There were lots of men out there." Indigo gestured to the random people milling by.

"I saw you wave." Bansha poked Indigo in the forehead. "And I heard your conversation. Now who was he?" Morro put an arm around Indigo's shoulders and pulled her close to him, giving her a look that meant "stay quiet". "Talk!" Bansha demanded, snatching a double-sided sword out of its sheath. Indigo masked her fear with a cocky smile. Bansha hissed angrily, pushing the edge of the blade up to Indigo's neck, who gasped in fear before she could stop herself. Morro abruptly snatched the sword out of the female ghost's grip and threw it out the door into the hallway, where it clattered against the wall onto the floor.

"Don't. You. Dare." he growled as Indigo let out a relieved breath. Bansha chuckled.

"Oh, so that's how it is, is it? Guards!" she called over her shoulder. Three ghosts in straw hats with spears entered the room and Bansha pointed at the human girl. "Take her away." she ordered. Morro's eyes widened as Indigo was yanked away from him by two of the ghosts. He started to go after her, but the remaining guard held his spear up in front of him, a silent threat to keep him from trying anything. Indigo struggled slightly as the ghosts pulled her away, trying to make them think she was helpless, but as soon as she was clear of the Vengestone cell she twisted her wrists out of their grip and grabbed them instead, draining their energy and sending them to the floor. She snatched up one of them's spear and spun around to face Morro, about to try and free him too, but he yelled,

"Run! Don't worry about me!" Obediently, she turned and ran down the hall, ignoring Bansha's angry shouts behind her. She turned a corner, dodging one guard and whacking the other with her spear before slamming into somthing and skidding to the floor. She groaned as something grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her to her feet. She stumbled against a wall, her head spinning, and looked up to see a tall ghost with a mask and a scythe hovering in front of her, a pair of black shackles in his hands. A few seconds later, the cuffs were on her wrists and she was being dragged back the way she had come. Her head cleared just as they arrived back at her cell, and she opened her eyes to see Morro lying on his side in the cell, a guard with a spear standing over him.

"Ghoultar catch running human girl." the tall ghost said proudly as Indigo grimaced.

"Excellent." Bansha hissed in reply. "Take her to the north wing. We'll see if Morro talks when he can't protect his precious girlfriend." the tall guy nodded and grabbed the chain between Indigo's wrists, pulling her along as he started floating away. The last thing Indigo saw before she was dragged away was Morro trying to get to his feet, but the guard kicking him back down. Indigo gritted her teeth as she walked quickly so she wouldn't stumble. Was this really how they treated crinimals here? These ghosts were sickening! The tall ghost opened the door to a cell and pulled her inside, unlocking her wrist shackles. She barely had time to move before he pushed her down against a wall and snapped another set of chains on her wrists, short enough that her arms hung in the air. The ghost floated out, chuckling, and left. Indigo pulled herself into a sitting position, glaring after the scythe-wielding monster.

 _"We'll see if Morro talks when he can't protect his precious girlfriend."_ Bansha's words played through her head and she frowned. The blademaster didn't care about her. She was only a pawn, a bargaining chip. And she was sick of it.

"God?" Indigo whispered into the stillness of the cell. "Please let those ghosts get what they deserve. Please help Morro and I to get out. Amen." she closed her eyes, her chains not feeling quite as heavy as before. Now all she could do is wait. Wait and pray.

Pawn

"Get up." Bansha demanded, poking the still ghost on the floor with the tip of her sword. Morro struggled to his feet, willing himself not to stumble. He did anyway. Bansha smirked. Was she really enjoying this? She never seemed to like him much during his plot to free the Preeminent, but he never guessed that she hated him this much. "Now." she said, sliding her sword back into its sheath. "Who was that man you were watching through the window?"

"His name is Cole." Morro muttered in reply. "He's the Master of Earth." he hated giving in, but he couldn't risk them hurting Indigo.

"Good." Bansha said smugly. "Are there others?"

"Yes. Lloyd, Kai, Jay, Zane, Kayson, Nya, and Jessica."

"At least some of them are elemental masters."

"Most of them. Only Jessica isn't."

"And what are you all doing here?"

"We're..." Morro hesitated. Would she detect a lie? "We're scouting the Cursed Realm for the ninja's Sensei. I'm acting as their guide."

"Idiot!" Bansha hissed, whipping out her blade again and making Morro cringe. "Don't lie to me! Your girlfriend will pay for it if you do!" she threatened, starting to turn towards the door.

"No!" Morro said quickly. "I-I won't."

"Good." she turned back to him, a smug smile on her masked face. "Why are you all here?"

"To rescue Lloyd's father, Sensei Garmadon." he stared at the floor. He hoped Lloyd wouldn't hate him too much for telling Bansha everything.

"And when will these ninja try to rescue you?"

"Tonight or tomorrow night, probably."

"Good." Bansha put her knife back with a calm smile. "Thank you for your _cooperation._ " she hissed as she and the guard left the cell, locking the door behind them. Morro stumbled backwards into the wall and slid down to the floor, closing his eyes in shame. What had he done?

* * *

 **Well _that_ went well. By the way, Angel, you've infected me.**

 **Sibling: Hey Elena. What's up?  
Me: Band-aids don't fix bullet holes  
Sibling: Huh?  
Me: You say sorry just for show  
Sibling: Why are you singing?  
Me: You live like that, you live with ghosts  
Sibling: MOM! ELENA'S SINGING AGAIN  
Me: I CAN SING IF I WANT TO!  
Mom: OH SAY CAN YOU SEEEE BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIIIGHT  
**

 **Just another day in Ninjago. Angel, do you have any more one-shot ideas? I'm out of cute Morro and Lloyd ones. ;_;**

 **~FFF**


	13. Lilac Light

**I HAVE RETURNED! :D Did you miss me? My finger hurts. A lot. OW. And now my brain hates me for trying to bend my finger and hurting it. -.- Anyway. So I will be updating over the next few days, but slowly. Probably one every other day. And I'm behind... six one-shots. Whoops. I'll try to do them in the order I got them, but I've likely forgotten the exact order and might skip around because pi. So anyway. This one was requested by SilverKunoichi. I wrote it first because I wanted to take a break from writing dramatic stuff. LOL JK I love writing drama. And fluff. I wrote this one because it was requested a looooooong time ago and I didn't want to forget it. So anyway here it is.**

* * *

 **Lilac Light - Rated K - General/Family**

 **Summary: Gin discovering a surprising secret about herself.**

 **Takes place: A couple weeks after the end of RttCR**

* * *

Lilac Light

"WATCH OUT!" Gin ducked at the shouted warning and a pair of nunchucks sailed over her head. She turned around to see Tellen and Anna standing behind her a few feet away, Anna with her eyes wide and her hands over her mouth. Gin picked up the wooden weapons from the ground, turning to the pair.

"Did you throw these at me?" she asked with a frown.

"He did it." Anna pulled her hands away from her mouth to point at Tellen.

"She provoked me!" he defended himself. Gin rolled her eyes, and, holding the nunchucks over her head, charged at them, causing them to scream and run. Gin giggled as she chased them through the halls of the monastery. Though the two students (plus Ness) were a couple years older than her, she often felt like they were her age or younger. The three exited the hallway into a large room, but Gin didn't realize where she was until something hard slammed into her, sending her flying across the room into a wall. She heard panicked shouts for a moment along with the buzzing in her eyes before someone touched her shoulder and spoke clearly.

"Gin! You okay?" she opened her eyes and met Lloyd's bright-green ones. She blinked as she registered the green ninja kneeling worridly in front of her.

"Uh..." she shook her head rapidly from side to side to clear it. "...yeah. What hit me?"

"Ah, I did." Lloyd coughed. "Kai and I were sparring and you ran in the way of an energy ball. Sorry." he helped his dazed "sister" to her feet.

"Energy ball?" Gin turned to see Garmadon standing in the doorway on the other side of the room, a mildly annoyed look on his face. "What have I said about using powers in the monastery?"

"Um... don't. Sorry Dad." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand with an awkward chuckle. "It's a reflex."

"It's alright. Just be more careful next time. This is exactly why you need to be careful." the older man gestured to Gin, who was stumbling dizzily in a circle. "So you don't hit people."

"I'm okay." Gin said as Lloyd pulled her over to a chair at the edge of the room. "Just let me sit down for a minute."

"You can watch me smash Lloyd at fencing!" Kai boasted with a grin, grabbing a practice katana from the wall.

"Ha! You wish!" Lloyd grabbed a similar sword and the two began to duel. Gin sat and watched them with a smile on her face. She loved her brothers a lot. Well, they weren't really her brothers, of course. But that's how she thought of them. Lloyd was most of a brother to her out of all of them, since he was Garmadon's son and Garmadon was like a father to her. It sure would be nice to know who her real family was, though. Gin ducked as Kai accidently sent a stream of fire in her direction, laughing as everyone else scolded him for it. It would be awesome to have elemental powers. Most of the people here did, didn't they? Even Indigo had powers, though she didn't remember when they were... stealing powers or something. Or was that Kai's girlfriend, Skylor? One or the other. It would be so cool to be an elemental master, Gin thought, closing her lilac eyes. To be able to set things on fire, or change shape, or just make balls of pure energy, like Lloyd. Gin unconsciously squeezed her hands into fists as she imagined having powers, her recent acquaintance with the wall forgotten. How did one control one's powers, she wondered? Was it picking up heavy things, a reflex that kicked in when needed? Or was it like a store of power inside of you, like a battery, that you could tap into to use for whatever your power- Gin's eyes flew open and she let out a startled gasp as there was a bright flash of light and the sound of a crash. She blinked a few times to readjust her eyes to the light before registering a large, circular hole in the wall directly across from her. Everyone else in the room was staring at it too, and she noticed the other people in the monastery in the doorway. As their attention turned to her, Gin looked down at her hands just in time to see a soft, light-purple light fading away.

"Uhh..." Jay spoke up from a few feet away. "What was that?"

"It looked like one of Lloyd's energy balls." Kai replied. "But purple."

"Lilac." Gin corrected. "It was lilac."

"And it didn't come from me. It came from Gin." Lloyd gestured to her, apparently not hearing her comment.

"What?" she blinked in surprise. "But I'm not an Elemental Master!" she paused. "...am I?"

"You must be." Sensei Wu said from the doorway. "Otherwise you could not have done that."

"Can you do it again?" Ness piped up from nearby.

"Don't try. Not in here." Lloyd spoke up quickly. "We don't need any more holes in the walls. Come on, let's go outside." she nodded and she and her friends went outside to test out her strange powers.

LilacLight

"Alright, so, what were you doing when you did that?" Lloyd asked as Gin stopped in the backyard of the monastery, facing a tree ten feet away.

"Um... pretending I had powers like yours." she blushed slightly, painfully aware of the fact that everyone was watching her.

"Do it again." Jay suggested. Gin nodded and stared down at her hands. A few moments later, she felt a strange surge of energy go through her and her hands began to glow again, the same light-purple light as before. Lilac, that's what it was. It was the same color of her eyes. Funny, Lloyd's eyes were the same color as his powers, too... Suddenly, the light turned into a ball of energy, that expanded rapidly like an inflating balloon. It grew out of control and popped, sending Gin and Lloyd, who was next to her, to the ground. Frowning, she sat up and held her hands in front of her again, this time managing to keep the energy in a wobbly ball.

"Well." Lloyd broke the stunned silence. "This is weird. It looks like you have the same powers as me. But purple."

"But how?" Gin tossed the ball away from her, which quickly popped when it left contact with her. "Why do I have these powers? Am I related to you somehow?"

"It's possible." the green ninja mused. "After all, no one knows where you came from. Maybe you're my sister in another dimension or something. Andreea was from another dimension. Remember her?"

"Yeah." Gin nodded.

"Well, we're never going to know." Jay pointed out. "Because, like you said, none of us have any idea. And there's no way to find out. We can guess, but we'll never know the truth."

"Maybe. Hey Dad!" Lloyd called to his father, who was standing in the doorway of the monastery a safe distance away. "Do you know of anyone with powers like Gin's? You and Sensei fought with all the other elemental masters in the Serpentine wars, didn't you? Did you see anyone like her?" Garmadon started to shake his head, but stopped.

"There was a woman... named Mialli, I think, who could summon lilac light." he replied. "Her powers acted much like yours do, Lloyd. I didn't notice anything at the time, because, obviously, you were not yet born. Once, though, Mialli's powers changed. When we took refuge in my father's monastery, her powers changed from being "Lilac Energy", as she called it, to silver energy, not unlike your gold energy, Lloyd. Wu and I think it was some sort of reaction to the golden weapons."

"So, if I still had my golden power, maybe Gin's power would become silver?" Lloyd suggested.

"It seems likely. The only source of golden power left, except for that which is in the form of Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole's elemental powers, is the Golden Armor, which Cyrus Borg has hidden in a secure location." Garmadon replied. "So I doubt we'll be able to test it out."

"So this "Mialli" person was my mother?" Gin focused on making another orb of light. "But who was she? How'd she get her powers? Is she still alive?"

"Actually, she was much more likely your grandmother." Garmadon walked over to observe her powers. "She was older than Wu and I. And she died in the Serpentine wars. As for where she got her powers, I imagine she got them from my father, along with the rest of the elemental masters. But I still have no idea how you ended up in the Cursed Realm." he shook his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Oh." Gin stared at her faintly-glowing hands. "Well... this is good! I finally have some vague idea of who I am and where I came from! And I'm special!"

"You were always special, powers or not." Lloyd ruffled the younger girl's hair.

"Hey! Don't mess with my hair!" Gin pushed him away, but accidently hit him with a burst of energy that sent him flying into a tree. "Oh my gosh! Sorry!" she squeaked as she ran over to see if he was okay. Kai burst out laughing at Lloyd's dazed appearance.

"This is too much! The green ninja just got beaten by a seven-year-old!" the red ninja chortled. Gin tried to hit him with an energy ball as well, but missed by about five feet and her projectile sailed through a window into the monastery. There was a crash from inside, followed by a startled meow. Indigo's grey and white cat appeared at the window a moment later, looking decidedly offended. Gin giggled, taking advantage of the distraction the cat was providing to sneak up behind Kai and hit him with an energy ball. He recovered quickly and sent a fireball at her, which missed and nearly hit Morro, who shot back at him. The two Sensei took cover as an element battle ensued, sending most of the fighters flying within a few moments. Gin burst out laughing as Jay tried to take her out with a bolt of lightning, but was thrown across the yard by Lloyd before he could.

"Partners?" the blond boy suggested.

"Why not?" she replied with a grin, trying to throw a lilac ball at Cole and missing by a mile. "Ah, my aim needs work."

"Pfft, you shoulda seen me when I first started using my powers." Lloyd chuckled. "That's why Dareth doesn't let us use his dojo anymore. You'll get better." he punched her arm lightly with one hand as he fired off another shot at Cole with the other. Gin giggled. Having family was awesome. Even better than having powers.

* * *

 **Le awesome one-shot**

 **Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Typing is hard with my finger damaged like it is. Next up is one of Angel Star Ninja's numerous requests, because they're awesome. ^ ^**

 **~FFF**


	14. Jealousy

**Here I am wiz anozer von-shot. So zat's fun.**

 **Review replies (back by popular demand):**

 **Angel: So you like cute things... hmm... and yeah, I read Second Wind. Mostly because Morro's in it. And I try to ignore the greenflame too. I would be fine with it if it weren't classified as "romance". Cause seriously it could be platonic. As for True Grit, it used to be better. :/ I'm not as interested in it now because it's just so tragic. It doesn't even feel like a Ninjago fanfiction anymore, it feels like a whole new story.**

 **Samantha Rutledge: I saw it, but I don't know what it means! :/**

 **Guest (1): Doing it? Doing what? Beating him up?**

 **Guest (2): That sounds intresting. What other ghost do you mean? Are you the same as the other guest?**

 **Windy: One of the reasons I look forward to the weekend now is because I know you'll be reading my stories. :) And I haven't forgotten that. I'll be writing it either tonight or tomorrow. ^ ^**

 **So I looked up the word Ronin the other day, and apparently a ronin is a wandering Samurai with no lord or master. Which pretty much sums Ronin up. Funny, isn't it?**

 **Ronin: That's my name, don't wear it out!  
Me: Nah, that line is overused. Away with you!  
**

* * *

 **Jealousy - Rated K+ - Hurt/Comfort/Humor**

 **Summary: Lloyd feels left out when Morro spends most of his time with Indigo. NOT A YAOI~**

 **Takes place: A little while after the end of RttCR (a lot of these are for some reason)**

* * *

Jealousy

Lloyd ducked a projectile as it came at his head, rolling to the side. Gotta stay focused, he reminded himself. One bad shot, one misstep, and it would all be over. He jumped to the left as another shot flew by, spinning around to face his attacker. But it was too late. The next shot hit him squarely in the stomach, sending him flying backwards onto the floor.

"Ow..." he muttered, sitting up with a groan.

"Ha! You okay, Lloyd?" Jay called, grabbing another ball and flinging it at Kai, who ducked just in time. The residents of the monastery were playing "Ninjaball", a crazy, hyped-up version of dodgeball. They had started playing dodgeball a while ago, but kept changing the rules until Kai declared that it was a brand new game, which he dubbed Ninjaball. It was now one of their favorite training games.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lloyd called back to the blue ninja. They had been known to accidentally injure each other while playing this game, so the traditional "you okay" was more of a necessity. Since he couldn't get back in the game until someone smacked Jay, Lloyd sat against a training dummy and watched the others play. Kai, Zane, and Ness were down, and were cheering for those who got them out to get hit. Jay was doing pretty well, due to his bouncy personality and hyper reflexes. Cole and him appeared to be locked in a death match, raining each other with a hail of balls that never seemed to find their target. Sensei Wu and Lloyd's dad were standing at the edge of the room, occasionally whacking balls back that flew at them, and Tellen and Anna were running around throwing balls at anything that moved. But Morro and Indigo were winning by far. Lloyd let out a frustrated sigh as his bright green eyes locked on the pair on the other side of the room, who kept throwing balls, oblivious to his staring. Indigo seemed to have mastered a new aspect of her powers, which was using momentum as energy. She sidestepped any balls that came at her and touched them as they went by, effectively stealing their energy and causing them to stop. She then picked up the ball and, with the extra energy she had just obtained, threw the ball back at her attacker hard enough to knock them down. As for Morro, nothing could hit him. Half the balls that came at him Indigo grabbed, and the other half he either diverted with a gust of wind or caught. But it wasn't their skill level that bothered the green ninja. It was the fact that they were fighting _together_. They were always together now. Training, eating, playing, hanging out, even sleeping. Lloyd had come across them one night recently snuggled up in Morro's bed together. Morro never had any time to hang out with Lloyd anymore. The blond ninja stared at the floor dejectedly, his mood ruined. After seeing that no one was watching, Lloyd quietly got to his feet and left the room.

Jealousy

"That was epic!" Indigo cheered as she left the training room with Morro. "They didn't stand a chance against us!"

"You know we're not supposed to team up, right?" Morro asked with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Lloyd said we could have "unspoken alliances", though. By the way, do you know where he went? He kinda vanished in the middle of the match." Morro hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the game, before shaking his head.

"No. I was paying more attention to not getting hit in the head with a ball." he smiled at her, but his smile faded when he noticed that she had stopped and was frowning. "Are you alright?" he asked, stepping back to stand next to her.

"I think he's mad at me." she murmured.

"Lloyd? Why?"

"I don't know. But recently he's seemed grumpy when I'm around, and I tried to talk to him yesterday but he just grumbled something an left. I haven't seen him acting like that around you or the others. Did I do something wrong?" she stared at the floor, not meeting his eyes.

"I don't think so. " Morro put an arm around her shoulders. "I'll go find him, okay? Do you want to ask him about it?" Indigo shook her head.

"I don't want to talk to him if he's mad at me. Could you ask him about it?"

"Of course." he nodded and she gave him a thankful smile as they walked back to her room.

Jealousy

Morro knocked on Lloyd's room door, wondering if the younger boy was inside. After leaving Indigo in her bedroom, the ghost boy had searched the monastery for almost ten minutes before hearing from Kai that the green ninja was in his room.

"Yeah?" Lloyd's voice came through the door in response to his knock. "Come in." Morro opened the door to see Lloyd lying on his bed, a comic book lying next to him. The young ninja's face lit up at the sight of him.

"What's up?" Lloyd asked, sitting up.

"I wanted to ask you something." Morro crossed the room and sat down on the bed. "Indigo says you've been acting strangely around her. She says you're mad at her. Is something wrong?" Lloyd's smile died at Indigo's name and he frowned.

"Sort of. I guess it's not really _her_ fault."

"What isn't?"

"You. Both of you. You spend so much time with Indigo that you never do anything with me anymore." Lloyd looked down at the floor dejectedly. Morro raised an eyebrow.

"Are you _jealous_ of my girlfriend?" he asked with a smirk.

"What? No! I mean, kind of, but... agh." Lloyd groaned. "I'm not _in love_ with you, if that's what you're asking." he glared at the ghost, who was chuckling. "You have a dirty mind."

"Maybe I do. Seriously, though." Morro let the smiled on his face fade. "I'm sorry. I confess I've kinda forgotten about you." he admitted, averting his eyes. "I've been thinking about her too much." Lloyd didn't answer, just pulled his knees up to his chest. Morro's heart sank. He hadn't realized that he was hurting Lloyd like this. Lloyd had every right to be mad at him. "It's not Indigo's fault, though. It's mine."

"I understand that you wanna spend time with her." Lloyd said, staring at the floor. "She needs it more than I do."

"Maybe she does. But that doesn't mean I should ignore you." Morro closed his eyes. "I-I guess I just thought, with the other ninja here to keep you company..." he trailed off, his excuse wasn't good enough. "I'm sorry." it was a few moments before Lloyd replied.

"It's okay." Morro felt a hand on his shoulder. "I forgive you." he opened his eyes to see Lloyd smiling slightly. "Just remember to have some time for me, okay?"

"Sure." Morro mimicked the gesture, putting a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and squeezing it gently. Lloyd responded by letting go of him and hugging him, which Morro was glad to return.

"Just out of curiosity, how often do you and Indigo sleep in the same bed?" Lloyd asked innocently.

"W-what?" Morro felt himself blush. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, don't play dumb. I've seen you." he could hear a teasing tone in Lloyd's voice. "What were you doing with her, anyway?"

"Nothing- we weren't- agh." Morro groaned. "What?! You and I slept in the same bed when we were rescuing your father!"

"We're not dating." Lloyd pointed out.

"Indigo has nightmares sometimes." Morro defended himself. "Just like you and I do."

"But are you doing anything with her?" Lloyd leaned back, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"No! And you say _my_ mind is dirty." Morro grumbled as Lloyd began to laugh.

"Revenge." he snickered. Morro reached over and ruffled the younger boy's hair, making him yelp and fall off the bed. The green ninja smoothed his hair back down and jumped to his feet, mussing Morro's hair and jumping back before the ghost could stop him. Morro jumped up and tried to grab the young ninja, who dodged and fled through the open door. Morro chased him through the halls, stopping short as he spotted Indigo standing in the hall.

"Lloyd's not mad at you." he told her breathlessly. "He was actually mad at me."

"Why-" she started to say, but Morro cut her off as he spotted Lloyd again.

"I'll explain later!" he took off down the hall again after Lloyd, Indigo's laughter following him.

* * *

 **Creepy Indigo laughter confirmed.**

 **Well that was cute. I hope Lloyd's okay, though.**

 **Lloyd: HELP! MORRO'S CORNERED ME IN A CLOSET!  
Kai: I'LL SAVE YOU!  
Morro: GET OFF ME!  
Me: I should probably go stop them... that is, if I weren't so mad at them for having dirty minds. lol. Well, bye!**

 **~FFF**


	15. Perception

**Sorry for random absence. Nindroids attacked and I got kinda distracted. This one is a request by Windy. I might get another out today as well.**

 **Review replies:**

 **KRR: So you ship Greenflame? Even if I wasn't poisoned by Yaoi, I would still just ship them as brothers. Because y'know, that's what they are. It's like people shipping KaiXNya. My favorite elemental master is MORRO. lol. Thanks for the brownie! :D**

 **Windy: Oh dear. :( I'm glad to be your best friend. :) Yeah, those two. But Morro and Indigo are both christians, so... yeah. WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE! Morro chasing Lloyd through the monastery is just the funniest mental image. I have a lot of dreams about being chased. Wonder why. Hope you like this one-shot! :D**

 **Samantha: So, like, outtakes in a movie? Sounds intresting.**

 **Wanli: Sure! It'll be a while because I have... um... six other one shots to write as well. I think. Might be seven. But I will write it eventually. ;)**

 **Angel: Oh gosh, I've gotta keep you two separated. I now officially ship you and Thomas. As for that request, if that's what it meant, NO. NOT WRITING IT.**

 **Leb: Sure! Always happy to write Lloyd and Garmadon. Any preferences for where they find it/them?**

 **Also, this is a friendly reminder that I WILL NOT WRITE ANYTHING M RATED. NOTHING SEXUAL, NOTHING REALLY GOREY, NOTHIN'. JUST NO.**

* * *

 **Perception - Rated K - Family**

 **Summary: Lloyd talks to his father about romance.**

 **Takes place: Sometime while most of the others are chasing Tara and Clouse.**

* * *

Lloyd lay on the stone floor of his father's prison, watching Jessica sleep across the room. He contemplated going over next to her, but decided against it. He always felt kinda uncomfortable around her. Not nervous uncomfortable, like he had been around Indigo the first few days after he'd met her. More like awkward uncomfortable, like he thought he would say or do the wrong thing and embarrass himself. He felt kinda shy around her, though he was good at hiding it. He wondered why. Was it possible that he was starting to... love her? He remembered Morro acting strangely around Indigo, about the time they entered the Cursed Realm. Not really shy, but... tender. And calmer around her, too. Lloyd would ask the ghost boy about love and such things, but he wasn't here. Maybe... Lloyd looked up at his father, who was hanging in his chains limply as he stared into space. Maybe he could ask him about it. Hopefully without letting on that he had a crush on Jessica. He wasn't sure how that would turn out. Lloyd got to his feet silently and started walking over to his father.

"Hey Dad, can I ask you a question?" his father looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled.

"You just did." it took Lloyd a couple seconds to figure out what his father was talking about.

"Uh... okay. Can I ask you two questions?"

"That was your second question." His father replied. Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Can I ask you four questions, then?"

"You already have."

"When?"

"Right now." Lloyd sighed as his father chuckled.

"You're a barrel of laughs. Seriously, though, I want to ask you about something." his father's laughter subsided and he nodded.

"Of course. What is it?"

"What does being in love feel like?" it took his father a few seconds to answer.

"Well, from what I've heard, it's different for everyone. But in my experience, well..." he paused for a moment. "I fell in love with Misako when I was about your age. Your physical age, anyway. I always felt- _feel,_ calmer around her, and her touch makes me feel warm. " Lloyd's father smiled as he stared off into space. "I miss her a lot." he said softly, almost to himself. He shook his head and looked back up, meeting Lloyd's eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Um..." Lloyd stole a glance at Jessica, who was still sleeping. "No reason. I was just curious."

"You shouldn't lie. It's against the ninth commandment." his father reproached him.

"Sorry." Lloyd sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"No. But I'm your father. I notice such things." his father looked over at Jessica. "Are you in love with her?"

"I'm not sure." Lloyd admitted. "I think I might be. My feelings for her aren't quite like you said yours are for Mom, but, like you said, I guess it's different for everybody."

"But it doesn't feel like friendship?"

"I'm friends with her, good friends, but I don't feel the same way as I do with Nya and Indigo. There's some other feelings there too, ones that I can't identify. I really don't know if I love her."

"Hmm." his father was silent for a few moments. "Does she love you?"

"Maybe." Lloyd smiled as he remembered how the daredevil girl used to act. "She was kinda crazy around me for a while. She acted like my hundreds of fangirls. But then, after a few days, she got more reserved. It's clear that she likes me a lot as a friend, but I think she might be in love with me too." he looked over at Jessica again. She was so pretty.

"You have a strange look on your face." his father remarked. Lloyd snapped out of it and looked back at his father, who laughed. "You look like Wu and I did when we were competing for Misako. You act like you're in love." Lloyd smiled and turned around to look at Jessica once more.

"Maybe I am."

* * *

 **Well, that was kinda short. Hope you liked it!**

 **By the way, the "Can I ask you a question" sequence I found on tumblr.**

 **~FFF**


	16. Hurtful Words

**Yush! Anozer one-shot! Don't mind me if I talk funny. This eez anozer of Angel Star Ninja's requests. ^ ^**

 **Review Replies:**

 **ADWC: Glad you liked it. :)**

 **Windy: Well I'm glad it made you happy. It makes me happy when I make people happy. ^ ^ Yeah, that part makes me laugh no matter how many times I read it. I love writing Lloyd and his dad like that. :D And Lloyd is so cute when he's in love. ^u^ You have some weird dreams. I have weirder ones, though. Hehehehe... It makes me feel better to write the Ninjago characters as christians. :) I'm glad you'll be reading my one-shots 'till next week. :D**

 **I need to stop telling you anything useful at the top of chapters. You always read it and then the one-shot and then forget anything written here. xD Like I told everyone a story in Genderswap and no one reacted in the reviews... hmm... I guess everyone should go read that again so they can freak out about how strange my family is.**

* * *

 **Hurtful Words - Rated K+ - umm...**

 **Summary: Morro and Lloyd run across some old enemies of Morro's.**

 **Takes place: A month or so after RttCR.**

* * *

Hurtful Words

Lloyd followed Morro through a complex of alleys on the west side of New Ninjago City, trying to keep up. The two of them had gone to a movie earlier that had lasted longer than they'd thought it would, and now they were late. Morro had suggested they take a shortcut, so here they were, weaving through the worst part of the city in the growing darkness.

"This place is... creepy." Lloyd said breathlessly as he ran behind the ghost. "I can't believe you lived here."

"I did." Morro turned suddenly, almost leaving Lloyd behind. "Be careful," the ghost warned. "There are some nasty people who live here."

"Don't leave me-" Lloyd skidded to a halt when he realized that Morro had stopped. "-behind. What's going on?" he asked quietly, looking past Morro into the wide alleyway in front of them. Sitting around a fire in a barrel were six or seven older teenagers, mostly boys but a couple girls, all of whom were staring at him and Morro, who had taken a defensive stance. Lloyd realized why when he saw the weapons that each one held.

"Well if it isn't _Morro_." a boy with dark hair and piercing eyes broke the silence, standing up. "With his blond-haired buddy too, I see."

"Nice to see you too, juice-tin." Morro replied, smirking. The boy sputtered angrily for a moment before snapping back,

"It's _Justin_! Shut up!" he snarled at a tall, red-haired boy with freckles, who was snickering. Justin turned back to Morro as Lloyd asked,

"Who are those guys?"

"They call themselves "The Sharks". They're probably the most dangerous gang around here. I made an enemy of them when I lived here. Justin hates it when people invade his "territory"." Morro made quotation marks with his hands, which served to rile Justin up further.

"I made a mistake in letting you live the last time we met." the dark-haired boy smirked. "Oh, but wait, I forgot. You're already dead. Don't see why I can't still make an example of you, though. And when I'm done, your little friend can learn why he needs to chose his company more carefully." Lloyd rolled his eyes. He could take these clowns on any day. Well, apparently wearing street clothes so no one would recognise him was working. When Morro didn't react to Justin's statement, the brown-haired teen smirked and turned to a young man next to him. "Logan, teach the ghost a lesson." he instructed. Logan nodded, standing up – he was really tall, Lloyd noticed – and approaching Morro. Lloyd stepped forward, but Morro put up a hand with a smirk. He could deal with them. The ghost let Logan back him up against a wall, and he stood there silently as the taller teenager pulled his fist back and swung. Fist met concrete. Logan swore and jumped back, clutching his throbbing fist. Lloyd burst out laughing as a couple of the other boys jumped to their feet. Apparently they had forgotten that people went through ghosts. The other two boys, the red-haired one who had laughed and another dark-haired one, tried to attack Morro, who punched one in the side and let the other one slam into the wall."Oh yeah." Justin muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully as the two stumbled back and Logan hopped around, clutching his fist. "There is that minor complication. We literally can't touch you."

"And, as you can see, I can still touch you." Morro replied. "I think we both know who has the advantage."

"Come on, Morro, we're already late." Lloyd spoke up. "Let's get home. Sensei's gonna be mad." the ghost nodded and he and Lloyd walked past the remaining gang members, who glared at them but made no move to attack. As the pair were about to leave the alley, however, Justin spoke up again.

"Sensei! Oh, that's right. You made yourself an ally in the ninja. Why did they do that, I wonder?" Morro stopped walking and Lloyd followed suit, looking back at the ghost in confusion. "I should think they would still hate you for the whole possessing-one-of-them-and-trying-to-take-over-the-world incident." Justin had a smug smile on his face.

"Let's go." Lloyd whispered, but Morro was silent, staring at the ground.

"Yes, I know about that." Justin continued. "I'm quite resourceful. I also know about your... hmm... misconception that _you_ were the green ninja. Went nuts because of it." Morro balled his hands in his fists, but Lloyd saw the guilt in his eyes. "Aw, am I bothering you? Well, how about this: You're a worthless, evil, loser who deserved to die in the Cursed Realm. The ninja's home is too good for you. Even these alleys are too good for you!"

"That's enough!" Lloyd spun around to face the gang. "No one talks like that to my friend!"

"How cute. The pipsqueak wants to help his friend. You can't take us all on at once. Heck, I doubt you could even take on Alyssa!" Justin gestured to a girl in a hood. Lloyd let out a slow breath. Had they really not made the connection yet? Justin smirked at Lloyd's silence and opened his mouth to speak. He never got the chance. Lloyd spun into a green tornado, simultaneously spinning into his green gi and slamming the antagonistic teenager into the wall of the alleyway. Two of Justin's cronies tried to jump on the green ninja as he slowed to a stop, but Lloyd kicked one in the stomach and grabbed the other by the front of the shirt, throwing him into the wall.

"Let me rephrase that." Lloyd hissed through clenched teeth. " _No one_ talks like that to a friend of the _green ninja_." Justin stared at Lloyd with wide eyes for a few moments before cursing, scrambling to his feet, and fleeing the alley. The rest of his gang soon followed.

"They deserved that." Lloyd turned around to see Morro watching him with a small smile on his face. Lloyd pulled off his hood.

"No kidding." he walked back over to the ghost. "Don't let him get to you. He was just trying to beat you up." Morro nodded.

"He almost succeeded. Thank you." the ghost said quietly.

"What are friends for?" Lloyd smiled. Morro smiled back.

"Let's get home." he said, turning back around. Lloyd nodded and the two once again set off into the darkness.

* * *

 **Moral of the story: Never be a jerk or the green ninja will beat you up.**

 **Random story time:**

 **Me: *writing a one-shot on paper* Hey Ally, how do you spell moral?  
Ally: M-O-R-R-O  
Me: Than- HEY! That's Morro, not moral!  
Ally: Yes, Morro.  
Me: MORAL  
Ally: Morro?  
Me: Never mind.  
Ally: M-O-R-A-L.**

 **Sisters.**

 **~FFF**


	17. Black Gold

**Le super cute fluffy one-shot.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: Alright! Alright! I take it back! *ducks* I know. I'm just making it very clear that I refuse to write it. Yes. Never ever mess with Lloyd. *nods wisely* And yes, this is super fluffy. Consider it an apology for shipping you and Thomas. *cough* And also your short stories are hilarious. ^ ^**

 **Windy: Yeah, my sister is funny. ^ ^ Yes, I realized that the first time I said tomorrow after watching season 5. xD Ally wants to send Morro a letter just so she can say, "I sent a letter tomorrow". lol. Lloyd punched them for you. It was fun writing Lloyd beat them up, because I pretty much hated them all after writing that. xD All those gang members have the names of some of my friends in real life. Justin is Ally's email friend, and she calls him "juice-tin" all the time. I'm not really sure when I'm going to start the sequel... it'll be after I write Despair, which won't be very long. Maybe 10,000 words.**

 **Samantha: Okay. Thanks for clearing that up. So, what did you mean by "making" a species for you? You seem to have already made it. They're really cool, by the way. I drew a winged one and I really like how it came out. :)**

 **Dragonborn: Glad you liked it. ;) Wow, your school is... strange. Though I wouldn't really, know, being homeschooled. RAMBLING FOREVERRRR~**

 **I was gonna say something here... but... I... forgot it. Oh well.**

* * *

 **Black Gold - Rated K+ - Angst/hurt/comfort**

 **Summary: Lloyd has a nightmare about the Overlord. Morro comforts him. NOOOOOT AAAA YAAAAAOOOOOOOIIIIIIIII**

 **Takes place: After RttCR.**

* * *

Black Gold

Lloyd stared at the monster in front of him, his mouth falling open in shock. No. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

"Mwahahahahaha! I'm back!" the Overlord cackled evilly, tapping towards Lloyd slowly in the golden armor. Lloyd backed away in fear. There was no way they could beat him again. Where were the others? Lloyd looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the ninja, plus Sensei, his father, and Morro, standing behind him with similiar shock on their faces. "You can't stop me this time, ninja!" the creature of darkness rasped. "Ninjago is mine! But..." he paused for dramatic effect. "Where to start?" he turned to Lloyd, who took a step back. "You shall die first, golden ninja. As an example to the rest of Ninjago of what is to be their fate." Lloyd wanted to run, but he was too scared to move. He could only watch as the golden armor, which he knew could kill him with a single touch, skittered towards him like a giant spider. He dimly registered the others shouting for him to move, to run, but he was frozen. The armor was right in front of him. Suddenly, something hard hit his side, knocking him out of the Overlord's path. Lloyd snapped out of his daze and looked up to see Kai standing where he had been seconds before. The fire ninja gave him a sad smile before being vaporized by the armor.

"KAI!" Lloyd screamed, bursting into tears. The Overlord chuckled darkly.

"I've changed my mind." he hissed. "All of your friends will die first. _Then_ you."

"No!" Lloyd struggled to his feet. "Guys, run! Get out of here!" he heard another zap and Sensei was gone. He heard the others' shouts, but he couldn't make out the words. Everything was blurry. Lloyd started to run towards them, but they seemed so far away all of a sudden. He tripped on something unseen and fell. Someone grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet, but he barely had a chance to figure out who it was – Morro – before he was gone as well. Tears streamed down Lloyd's face as he tried to make it to the others, but he could hear their screams as the Overlord killed them, one by one. He couldn't make it to them in time. By the time he finally got there, his father was the only one left. And then he was gone. Lloyd turned in the Overlord's direction, his vision blurry with tears, as the dark creature cackled with glee. Lloyd turned and ran, his heart beating painfully in his chest, as he tried to escape. But no matter where he turned, the Overlord was there, steadily getting closer. Lloyd stumbled and fell on his side, going limp when he realized that there was no way out. He heard the Overlord cackle triumphantly.

"Victory is mine!" the dark lord rasped. Lloyd closed his eyes with a silent sob as he felt a burst of searing pain. The world flashed white, then he knew nothing more.

BlackGold

Lloyd let out a cry of fear as he awoke in his dark room. Heart beating wildly, he sat up, clenching the blanket on his bed in his fists and he looked around the dark room, half-expecting to see the Overlord standing there. Seeing nothing, Lloyd let out a shaky breath as he adjusted to the fact that it had only been a dream. Check that, a nightmare. That was one of the problems with being the green ninja. Everyone was out to get you. Lloyd shuddered, tears threatening to spill as the nightmare replayed through his mind. He never told anyone, but he was terrified of the Overlord. The creature of darkness has possessed his father, almost killed Lloyd in their first fight and broken his leg, captured him and stole his golden power, and killed Zane. And those were only the _worst_ things he did. Of the nightmares he had, most of them were about the Overlord. Lloyd heard a click and whirled around towards the door to see it opening slowly.

"Lloyd?" Morro was standing in the doorway, looking through at him with concern. "I heard you scream. Are you alright?"

"...n-no..." Lloyd whispered, his voice shaking. At Morro's worried look, he continued. "I-I'm not hurt. I h-had a n-nightmare." he closed his eyes and heard soft footsteps as Morro crossed the room and sat down next to him. Lloyd leaned against his friend, shaking slightly.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" the ghost asked quietly. Lloyd hesitated. He didn't want to remind himself of his dream, but he knew that talking about it with someone would probably help. Silently, he nodded.

"Th-the Overlord was back." he began. "He h-had the golden armor. He tried to kill me, b-but Kai pushed m-me out of the way and he killed Kai..." Lloyd was crying again. "Th-then the Overlord killed Sensei, and y-you, a-and the other n-ninja, and m-my dad..." Morro wrapped his arm around Lloyd's shoulders, comforting him and giving him the strength to go on. "I t-tried to run, b-but I couldn't g-get away... he w-was too fast... h-he killed me..." Lloyd stopped, unable to keep from sobbing quietly. Morro pulled him into a tight hug, making his tears slow. "H-he scares m-me so much..." Lloyd whispered.

"He's dead." Morro whispered gently. "He's not coming back. Not this time." Lloyd nodded, snuggling against the ghost boy in the darkness. He heard a _hiss_ as one of his tears evaporated on Morro's skin.

"M-Morro, you shouldn't..." Lloyd whispered, but Morro stopped him.

"I'm fine." he murmured. "I can handle a little water."

"B-but..."

"I'm fine." Morro repeated, rubbing Lloyd's shoulder reassuringly. Lloyd relented, wiping the tears off his face with his sleeve and resting his head on Morro's chest. The two sat like that for hours, or at least a long time, before Lloyd fell asleep in Morro's arms.

* * *

 **And the worst part is that the Overlord actually IS going to come back. Poor Lloyd. Wonder why I like writing nightmares so much.**

 **Lloyd: Maybe you like nightmares.  
Me: I don't like HAVING them! You're very lucky, you know.  
Lloyd: To have lots of nightmares?  
Me: No. To have Morro to comfort you when you have nightmares.  
Lloyd: I gue-  
Me: _I_ don't have an older brother/great friend to come and comfort me when _I_ have nightmares.  
Lloyd: How often do you have n-  
Me: LIKE WHEN I DREAM THAT DEMONS SLAUGHTER MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN FRONT OF ME.  
Lloyd: ...  
Me: ...  
Lloyd: Sorry.  
Me: It's okay.**

 **I want Lloyd to be my brother... oh well. HOPE EVERYONE LIKED DIS**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. Happy early Thanksgiving y'all eat lots of pie**


	18. Forgotten Pt 1

**Le loooooong one-shot. This is actually only half of it, so I guess it's a two-shot. But I decided to post it anyway 'cause it's gonna be really long and it's been a while since I posted. This was requested by "guest".**

 **Review repliez(so many):**

 **Guest (1): What do you mean "Lloyd X Morro"? As in romance? I think we already established that Lloyd and Morro are not a couple... also the Overlord is not going to reveal himself until the sequel to RttCR, so, I will not be doing any oneshots with him in it yet. Sorry.**

 **Samantha: I would like to write a story with them in it, but I need a plot... got any ideas? Also yes, I really did have that dream. I rarely have nightmares, but when I do they're pretty rotten. -.- I dreamed I was a LEGO minifigure last night, though. ^ ^**

 **Angel: LOL Thomas... you put them in a boat together? That always makes me laugh. xD Hugging is pro. Whoops. I wouldn't suggest doing that again...**

 **Windy: I know, right? :( But at least he has Morro to hug him. ^ ^ I actually did send a letter to Morro... he replied. O.O It was in another fanfiction called "Letters for Ninjas" by Spinjago. I know lots of people with crushes on fictional characters. I just have squishes, though. ^ ^ Ally is older than me. I have 7 siblings who are younger. Despair is a new story, which is based on a theory of how Morro ended up in the Cursed Realm. Pie is awesome. :D**

 **Leb: Thanks for the idea, I was kinda stuck on that. ^ ^' Yeah, Garmadon is awesome. I was really mad at the ninjago people for a while when they killed him. -.- No, I haven't read that.**

 **Guest (2): Sorry, I'd rather not write that. To write this Freddy guy I would have to look him up in detail and I do NOT want to do that because every time I look a horror person up they give me nightmares. Sorry.**

 **Visatoarea10: Sure! I can do that sometime. :)**

 **Guest (3): One word: NO. I do not write Yaoi, and Morro is already dating Indigo. Nooooooooooooooooo.**

 **TheFlamingShogun: I was wondering where that came from. I saw pictures of those panels on tumblr. lol nope I can't see it. xD**

 **NOTE FOR EVERYONE WHO WAS SURPRISED THAT THE OVERLORD IS BACK: Go read chapter 54 of RttCR again.**

 **NOTE FOR ALL GUESTS WHO CALL THEMSELVES "GUEST": When you write a review, above the review box is another box that says "Guest". YOu can click on that and write something else there. Please do that, since I'm getting lots of reviews from "Guest"s, and it's hard writing review replies to them all. Thanks!  
**

 **And also, the first chapter of Despair is out. Be sure to read it. ^ ^**

* * *

Forgotten

"GOTCHA NOW!" Tellen yelled as he and Anna burst into the training room. Distracted, Jay barely ducked a swipe from Kai's sword.

"Hey! What are you doing here, kids? We're working!" the blue ninja yelled as the two skidded to a halt next to the training mat.

"Anna stole my robot." Tellen replied, pointing at the younger girl accusingly as she hid something behind her back.

"Anna, please return Tellen's robot." Zane spoke up from where he was sitting beside Cole and Morro. Anna grudgingly handed Tellen a toy, that the older boy happily ran off with.

"What's going on?" Anna asked, plopping down on the floor next to Indigo.

"Kai and Jay are sparring. Nothing much." Indigo replied as Jay swung his nunchucks at Kai, almost hitting him but missing as the red ninja jumped back just in time.

"Where's Lloyd?" Anna asked, glancing around the room for any sign of the green ninja.

"In his room." Morro replied, "Reading a book. He was fighting Indigo a few minutes ago and she stole his energy, so he's taking a break." he gave Indigo an admiring smile that she returned.

"Roight." Anna said in a fake southern accent. "Go Kai!" she cheered, turning back towards the fighters.

"Heyeyey! Cheering isn't allowed!" Jay complained, blocking a strike from Kai.

"Even if it's for you?" Nya asked with a smirk.

"Well, maybe." Jay grinned.

"Go Jay!" Nya called, pumping her fist in the air.

"My own sister betrays me?!" Kai groaned in mock horror. "Oh the humanity!" he whacked Jay with the flat of his blade, sending the blue ninja sprawling to the floor.

"Hey! No fair! Nya distracted me!" Jay complained, lying limply on the ground.

"Oh, well, I guess you didn't betray me after all." Kai said with a laugh.

"You look good like that, Jay!" Cole called over. Jay glared at him, sitting up and, after picking up a training sword from next to him, threw it at Cole. The ghost ninja smirked as it passed through him harmlessly, picking up a wooden shuriken and throwing it back. Jay dodged and threw a piece of wood from a splintered sword at Cole, who threw something at him, over and over and over again. Unfortunately, Jay wasn't always looking at what he threw. Specifically, a glass of water. Jay yelped when he realized what he had thrown, but it was too late. Cole's eyes widened as the dangerous projectile flew towards him, and he dodged to the side. The cup hit the wall and, before anyone could react, its contents splashed over Morro, who vanished in a puff of green smoke. The occupants of the room sat there in stunned silence for a few moments before Jay whispered,

"I'm so hooped."

"I'm telling Lloyd!" Indigo exclaimed, jumping to her feet and dashing out of the room. Jay quickly ran after her, hoping to plead his case to Lloyd before the green ninja was too mad at him.

Forgotten

Morro opened his eyes slowly, blinking a couple of times as he sat up. He was in the Cursed Realm. In Prison Mountain. How did he get here? Oh, right. Jay killed him. Idiot. He stumbled to his feet, the burning feeling of water yet to wear off, and glanced around. Now he had to get out of here again. At least thi time he could fly directly to the mountain with the portal on his dragon. So it shouldn't take too long to escape. Once he got out of these tunnels, of course. Morro looked back and forth, trying to get his bearings. He didn't recognize this part of the mountain. Oh well. If he started walking, he was sure to get to someplace useful eventually. He chose the left path and started walking. A few seconds afterward, though, a tremor rocked the mountain and he stopped, frowning. This mountain was very old, and was probably getting unstable. He hoped that the ground wouldn't— he froze as he heard a menacing _crack_ above his head, and looked up in alarm to see a shower of large chunks of rock falling rapidly towards him from the ceiling high above. Before he could escape, the rocks hit him and he blacked out.

Forgotten

"It was an accident!" Jay yelled, bursting through Lloyd's door and startling the blond teenager, who was lying on his bed. Lloyd slowly lowered his book, looking at the blue ninja in confusion.

" _What_ was an accident?" he asked as Jay glanced around the room.

"Just a moment." Jay tapped his foot on the floor a few times. "She'll be here any—"

"Lloyd! Jay killed Morro!" Indigo shouted as she ran through the wall.

"You _what_?!" Lloyd spun to face Jay, glaring at him angrily.

"Eheheh, he's not _dead_ , per se, just back in the Cursed Realm!" the red-haired ninja coughed. "Cole and I were throwing things at each other and I accidently threw Kai's glass of water and it hit Morro so... yeah. H-he knows his way back, right? He'll be back in a couple days. I'm sure." Jay coughed again, Indigo and Lloyd's glares making him uncomfortable. "Sorry.

"It's okay." Lloyd sighed, running a hand down his face. "You're right. I'm sure he's fine. Although he is going to be really mad at you when he gets back."

"It's _not_ okay." Indigo muttered, looking at the floor. Lloyd got off his bed and walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder. Well, almost. It went through her, but she seemed to appretiate the gesture.

"He'll be back." Lloyd promised. "If he's not back in a few days, we can have Clouse make a portal to the Cursed Realm for us. Okay?" Indigo nodded. Jay quietly slipped out of the room, and Indigo followed a few moments later after mumbling something about hiding in her room with Daggerclaws. Lloyd sat back down on the edge of his bed with a sigh. He was sure Morro would be okay, but he still felt like something was wrong. It was probably nothing. After a few moments, he went back to reading his books, the worrisome feelings shoved the the back of his mind.

Forgotten

Bansha floated through the corridors of Prison Mountain, doing her daily patrol of the area. She frowned as she passed another pile of rocks on the ground. The mountain was getting more and more unstable. She would have to talk to Soul Archer about building some supports or something. As she was about to turn the corner, she paused. Something was different about those rocks back there. Backing up, she took a closer look and realized that there was someone lying under the rocks, mostly buried. All she could see of them was part of their face and straight, black hair. Was that... Morro? Bansha hissed quietly. What was he doing here? He must have gotten killed, then gotten caught in a rockslide. She lifted one of the rocks away, setting it beside the rest. It was Morro, alright. He was unconscious, but his face showed that he was in pain. Slowly, she moved the rest of the rocks off him, one by one. His leg was bent at an odd angle. Was it even possible for a ghost to break a bone? Apparently. She floated back a step, contemplating what to do with him. It wouldn't be a good idea to leave him here. He might escape when he awoke, despite his apparent injury. He could always fly, on his dragon or with wind, after all. Probably best to take him back to Soul Archer's base in Minyeng, where he could rot in prison. Just then, Morro's eyelids fluttered, signalling that he was about to wake up. Bansha floated backwards a few paces, yanking her sword out of its sheath and holding it up in an attack stance. She could probably subdue him in his weakened state. Maybe. Unless he slammed her against a wall or something and knocked her out before she could even attack. Well, maybe she could knock him out again. Hopefully. Morro's eyes opened and he blinked a few times before slowly pushing himself into a sitting position, wincing as he did so. He stared into space, not seeming to notice her presence. Bansha solidified her tail into legs, dropping about an inch to the floor and creating a barely-audible _tap_. It got his attention, though, and he looked up, startled. Instead of attacking, like she'd excepted, or even just looking angry, the wind master shrank back against the wall, his eyes widening with fear as he focused on her sword. She frowned, narrowing her eyes. This was strange behavior for him.

"Who are you?" Bansha blinked at Morro's slightly-shaking voice. That was even stranger. He didn't remember her? Or was he just pretending?

"I'm... Bansha." she lowered her sword slightly, since it seemed to be scaring him. "What is your name?"

"I..." Morro lowered his gaze to the ground, a confused look on his face. "I-I don't know."

"Hmm." Bansha let her sword dangle at her side. If he was acting, he was doing a very good job of it. Maybe...

"Does the name "Indigo" mean anything to you?" she asked. He looked back up at her, meeting her eyes for a few moments, before shaking his head.

"No. Should it?" the scared look in his eyes was mostly gone. He must not have forgotten the danger of weapons.

"...no. Do you remember anything at all?" Bansha asked, sliding her sword back into its sheath. She was convinced now that he was telling the truth.

"I remember... a blond-haired boy. But I don't know his name. And another person. A man. He has blond hair too. I don't remember his name either." Morro replied. Lloyd, the green ninja, must be the boy. But who was the man? Maybe Wu. Bansha frowned. What did she do with Morro now? He was injured, and barely remembered a thing. She couldn't lock him in jail now. He, in a sense, was innocent. He had violated the law, but didn't know it.

"Your name," she said after a few moments. "is Morro."

"Morro." he repeated quietly. "You know me?"

"Well... sort of." Bansha averted her gaze. She would avoid telling him about her past if she could. He would most likely become their enemy again. "Not well."

"Oh..." he murmured. Bracing himself on a handhold on the wall, he rose to his feet slowly, wincing as he tried to put weight on his right leg. "I-I think I hurt my leg."

"You did. Don't try to walk on it." Bansha stepped over next to him. "Put your arm around me." she instructed. He put his arm around her shoulders and she did the same, supporting him with one arm. "Come. We'll go back to my... home." she instructed. He nodded and the two slowly, carefully, made their way out of the mountain, down the stairs, and back to Soul Archer's base.

Forgotten

"He has to be locked up."

"No!" Bansha argued.

"He violated the laws of the Cursed Realm by allying himself with those humans." Soul Archer folded his arms. "It is law that he be imprisoned."

" _You_ allied yourself with a human." she pointed out. "And besides, he doesn't remember any of that. He doesn't remember _anything_. It would be unfair to sentence him for crimes that he didn't know he did."

"I am working with Chen for the good of all of us." he growled. "To get us out of this cursed place. No pun intended. What makes you so sure he did lose his memory, anyway? How do you know he's not just pretending?" he demanded.

"His behavior, for one." Bansha turned to look at Morro, who was sitting against the wall on the far side of the room, staring into space with his eyes half closed. "He's shown no malice around me at all. He even seemed afraid of me when I found him. And you know how much he used to hate me. And I mentioned his girlfriend's name to him. He didn't react. Remember how crazy he was over her when they were imprisoned here?" Soul Archer simply stared at her. She frowned. "Look, Archer, he's confused and injured. Someone needs to help him. Don't you care at all?" He was silent for a few long seconds.

"The people will insist that he is locked up." he said at last.

"Then we must protect him." she said stubbornly. Soul Archer sighed.

"If we must. Tell Ghoultar and Wrayth. But no one else." he instructed. "They are the only ones I trust." Bansha nodded, started to turn away. "And Bansha?" she paused and turned back at the sound of her superior's voice. "Keep him well hidden. If word gets out that he's here, We could all be in a very bad situation." he nodded at the master of wind. "Including him."

"Right." she nodded again and floated across the room to Morro, who looked up at her as she approached.

"Come with me." she said quietly, holding out a hand. He took it and she pulled him to his feet, supporting him with an arm across his back. Bansha led him to a deserted storeroom with some large crates lying around, leading him to the back. "Stay here." she instructed. "We can't let anyone find you, alright? I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay." Morro let go of her, limping over to one of the crates and sinking to the ground next to it and looking up at her. Maybe it was wrong, but she was glad he had been caught in that rockslide. He was so... innocent, now. And trusting. Despite the fact that she had hated him with a passion for the last couple of months, she felt very... protective of him, now. Maybe she felt sorry for him. Bansha turned and floated back to the doorway, glancing back to see Morro still watching her before leaving the room and shutting the door. Now to find Ghoultar and Wrayth...

* * *

 **Part one.**

 **This is gonna be long.**

 **If anyone has any ideas for what should happen next, plz tell me. I'm at a bit of a loss. Thanks!**

 **~FFF**


	19. The Ricky Effect

**This is a request by *pauses to check* Nalina.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Samantha: Wow, you sound a bit irritable. xD Don't worry, he'll get his memory back. No, I can't really. Why?**

 **Angel: I thought you would like that. xD Wow, everyone in your reviews are so... violent. xD Except Percy. Oh, and, about those last things you requested, I want to write them but I don't know where to put them. ;_; Any ideas?**

 **Guest who requested Forgotten: ...so many guests can't keep track... oh well. I think at least three of those are from you. I like your ideas. The time frame seems a bit long, though, so I'll shorten it. Like, a year... it's still just a two/three/four-shot. I have no idea how long that's gonna go on... xD So, I'll shorten that to a month or two. K?**

 **Count Raptor: Presenting, Count Raptor, protector of ghosts with amnesia and slayer of idiots. lol.**

 **Guest who requested the other thing: Hickeys... I think that has something to do with kissing. Sorry, still too sexual.**

 **Yet another Guest: DON'T MAKE MY GHOST BAE CRY *bangs head against wall* your review made me laugh lol**

 **Last Guest: ...a...maid's dress...wut...no.**

 **And Leb, sorry your request is taking so long ;_; I'm gonna write another part of Forgotten next and then your request, k?**

 **Let ze reading commence!**

* * *

 **The Ricky Effect - Rated K - Humor/Friendship**

 **Summary: Lloyd teaches Morro how to play pranks**

 **Takes place: After RttCR.**

* * *

The Ricky Effect

It was a quiet evening in the Garmadon Monastery. The inhabitants of the building were eating dinner, chatting amiably from time to time. It wasn't until about halfway through the meal that Cole noticed that live snake that was hanging above his head. Lloyd burst out laughing at the black ninja's surprised yelp, and the rest of the ninja laughed too. Misako gave Lloyd a pointed look, which he ignored. Morro, Lloyd noticed, looked confused.

"What was that?" the ghost asked.

"A prank." Kai replied. "Cole hates snakes." the fire ninja yelped as a plate of food went flying past his head. He responded by throwing a spoon back at the earth master, and a food fight broke out. As Lloyd joined in the flinging of appetizers, he noticed Indigo quietly leaving through a wall. Probably a good idea, since the occasional liquid was flying as well as the food. Morro and Cole seemed to be holding their own, though. Lloyd forgot about the prank in the excitement until after the meal.

TheRickyEffect

"Hey Lloyd?" Lloyd turned at Morro's voice as the ghost approached him in one of the monastery's many halls. It had been about half an hour since the food fight, but Lloyd was still trying to get vegetables out of his hair. "Why was there a snake hanging above Cole's head?"

"I put it there." Lloyd replied.

"Why?"

"For a prank."

"What's a prank?"

"You don't know what a prank is?" Lloyd asked in surprise. Morro shook his head. "Huh. Okay. A prank is like... a joke. Where you do something to someone in an attempt to make other people laugh."

"It didn't make Cole laugh." Morro pointed out.

"...yeah. Which reminds me. I should probably avoid him for a day or so, 'cause he threatened to break all my bones." Lloyd coughed and changed the subject. "So you've never played a prank on anyone?"

"No."

"Well, how about I teach you how?" Lloyd suggested. "It'll be fun!" he added at Morro's skeptical look.

"Teach me how to... play pranks?" Morro frowned. "Why?"

"Well, say, if someone's annoying you or something, you can play a prank on them instead of beating them up or something." Lloyd shrugged. "Besides, it's funny."

"Okay." Morro nodded after a moment. "Where do we start?"

"Well, first we need a target..."

TheRickyEffect

Morro and Lloyd stood outside Kai's room in the middle of the night, peering through the half-open door at the sleeping fire ninja.

"...so now what?" Morro whispered. "Kai is are target. What do we do now?"

"Now we need a prank." Lloyd replied quietly. "Usually for Kai I would put a bucket of water on top of his door, so when he opened it the water would fall on his. But that could be dangerous for you. And besides, it's not very original. So we need something else."

"How do you find a good prank?" Morro asked.

"Well, it depends. If you're trying to really scared them, then find a prank that plays off their fears. But if you're just trying to humiliate them, then something less serious." Lloyd paused and chuckled awkwardly. "Wow, pranks sound really cruel when you talk about them out loud."

"That's for sure." Morro remarked, looking back at Kai.

"Oh hey! I just thought of something! Follow me!" Lloyd took off down the hall, Morro following a moment later.

"Where are we going?" Morro whispered.

"To the girls' side of the monastery." Lloyd replied, referring to the side of the building where most of the girls' bedrooms were located. The exceptions were Lloyd's mom, who shared a room with his dad, and Indigo, whose bedroom was next to Morro's.

"Why are we going there?" the ghost asked in confusion.

"I need to borrow something from Anna." Lloyd replied, turning a corner. "You know how much she likes to dye her hair crazy colors?"

"Yes, but what- oh." Morro stifled a laugh. "You are going to be in trouble."

"Not just me. You are too." Lloyd smirked.

" _We_ are going to be in trouble." Morro rolled his eyes. "Let's just hope we don't wake anyone up."

"Yep." Lloyd nodded. "Shh." he creaked the female students' door open and slipped inside, passing by the four sleeping girls in their beds and opening a cabinet. He rummaged around inside for a few moments before pulling out what he was looking for, a hot pink bottle. He turned around and started to walk out when a voice made him freeze.

"Why yu in mm room?" he spun around to see Ness sitting up on his bed, staring at him sleepily.

"Uh..." Lloyd glanced at the doorway to see Morro waiting for him there. "No reason. Go back to sleep." he then dashed out of the room. "That went well." he whispered to Morro as he quickly closed the door.

"Not very." Morro shook his head. "Let's go."

TheRickyEffect

It was a peaceful morning in the Garmadon monastery. The birds sang, the crickets chirped, and the four-year-old complained about what kind of eggs she wanted. Most of the occupants of the monastery were at the breakfast table, the only exception being Kai, who had yet to appear. Cole noticed that Lloyd and Morro looked a bit... guilty. That probably meant Lloyd had played a prank on someone, and Morro was in on it. Cole knew that he probably wouldn't get pranked again so soon, what with his recent threat to break Lloyd's arms, but he checked for snakes anyway. Just then, the people at the table were startled by the sound of a door slamming. A few moments later, a very angry fire ninja stormed into the room, just pajamas still on and a bottle in his hand. The major difference from his regular appearance, though, was that his hair was a bright shade of pink. Everyone in the room stared at him in stunned silence fot a few moments before he held up the bottle in his hand.

"This," he said gravely. "is not shampoo." Lloyd cracked up. Soon Anna and Gin followed. And then most of the room was laughing. Sensei Wu was the only one who managed to keep a mostly-straight face, settling for a knowing smile instead.

"You..." Lloyd choked out. "You look soooo funny."

"Oh! That's why you stole Anna's hair dye!" Ness snapped her fingers, looking at Lloyd and Morro. "I was wondering about that."

"So YOU did this, huh?" Kai dropped the bottle and approached Lloyd, who scrambled out of his seat and started backing away.

"Morro helped!" the green ninja defended himself as Kai got closer. Morro possessed his fork, effectively vanishing, in reply. Lloyd fled down a hall, Kai running after him as soon as he could.

"Just another day in Ninjago." Jay broke the silence. A couple other people nodded and they went back to eating breakfast.

* * *

 **Cue all the readers staring at me in silence as they wonder what "The Ricky Effect" means. It was Ally's suggestion. Her friend has this character named Ricky, who's a total prankster. Hence "The Ricky Effect". I couldn't think of anything better. :/**

 **Reminder for all guests: Please give me something I can call you in review replies. Having six guests to reply to gets awkward. Thanks!**

 **I'll probably get the next chapter of Despair out tonight. So watch out for that.**

 **~FFF**


	20. Forgotten Pt 2

**R.I.P. FFF: Was killed by a mob of readers because she didn't update.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Petal: Morro can never resist cookies. ^ ^**

 **Angel: O.O you burned up Tara and Clouse. Oh dear. And you're a liar. Like Jay always says, "YOU SHOULDN'T LIE. IT'S A SIGN OF WEAK VERBAL SKILLS." Or maybe that was "you shouldn't swear"... lol I forget. Poor Tara made Nicole mad. xD**

 **Ghost Queen: Yeah, I know Petal. I don't understand why you would ship Morro and the Overlord... but whatever.**

 **Maid of Evil: Morro is a fork confirmed.**

 **Samantha: You seem kinda grumpy lately... am I bothering you? Okay, yes, I like that idea.**

 **KRR: DON'T KILL MY GHOST BAE! *smacks you lightly with fanfiction* BTW did you ever turn back into a human? Yikes, possessed Rainbow Dash... lol. Why don't Morro and Indigo get along in your reviews? I blame reviewer realm magic. :P**

 **Leb: Your request is in progress. :) I like that idea. Yush, I need room to be CREATIVE~ your friends are silly. xD**

 **Windy: Yeah, everyone seems to be excited about this one. I'm trying to squish it into as few parts as possible, but it's soooo long. O.O Yeah, I'm not quite sure how it's going to end. Guess we'll all see. ;) Yesssss, Jay is an idiot. *bonks head against wall* I would've hit him with a frying pan or something. Lloyd has experience in dealing with him, though, so... heheh. Yep. Seven younger and one older. It's CRAZY. Well I'm glad you like it ;D I really need to update it. Oh well. One of these days. It's so hard to decide your favorite dessert, isn't it? How have you been feeling lately? My friend wanted to know if her prayers are helping. I hope they are. :) I look forward to seeing your reviews.**

 **I am seriously considering publishing this separately as a short story... cause it's kinda important to the plot of the RttCR trilogy and it's getting long anyway. Like, it's not even half done yet. Soooooo... yeah.**

* * *

Forgotten Part 2

Morro watched Bansha silently until the door closed and she was out of sight. He sat against the wall for a few moments before her last words played through his mind again. _"We can't let anyone find you."_ he wasn't very well hidden here. He should find a better place. Bracing his hands against the wall behind him, he carefully raised himself to his feet. Glancing around, he soon spotted a large box in a corner with a gap between it and the wall. He could hide there. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain in his leg, Morro limped slowly across the twenty-foot distance to the box, almost collapsing to the ground when he reached it. He carefully pushed himself into the small space and leaned against the wall. No one would find him here. Hopefully. Morro closed his eyes and concentrated as he tried to remember something – anything – about his past. The first image he saw was of that blond boy with the green eyes. He was in a dim room, a coil of bronze wrapped around his waist. He was struggling, and looked angry and scared. Of what? Morro didn't remember. His other memory of the boy was better. The boy was holding an apple in an outstretched hand in front of him, a soft smile on his face. He looked a bit nervous, but nowhere near as frightened as he had been in the first memory. And then there was that other man. In that image, he was watching Morro from about ten feet away, and seemed to be standing in an open gate. Who were they? And who was the girl? Morro turned to his last memory, an image of a girl with black hair and dark eyes in a grey room. She was shackled to the wall with black chains, and seemed to be right next to him. Her face was tearstained, but she was smiling. Was she "Indigo", maybe? He hadn't told Bansha about this because, in all honesty, he didn't entirely trust her. He was very grateful that she had helped him and brought him here to safety, but the other things she had done confused him. When he had first awoken, she looked ready to attack him. Once she learned he didn't remember anything, though, she had helped him instead. Had he been some sort of criminal? And why had she asked if he recognized the name "Indigo" if he wasn't supposed to know anyone by that name? That's why he hadn't told her about that memory. She seemed to be hiding something from him.

Morro opened his eyes and shivered at the cold temperature of the room. He started to pull his knees up to his chest, but hissed softly as a jolt of pain went through him and let his legs go limp. When was Bansha coming back? He felt like he had been alone for hours. His breathing quickened as the walls seemed to close in around him, and he scrambled out of his hiding place into a beam of light that shone from the lone window. Morro shuddered and stared at the floor. He felt cold and scared, and he didn't know why. He hated the fact that his mind was a blank slate. He hated the fact that Bansha was keeping secrets from him. He hated this place. He needed to get out. Stumbling to his feet, Morro ran across the room towards the window. His leg throbbed with pain at every step, but he ignored it. When he reached the window, he only hesitated a moment before smashing it with his fist. He climbed through and dropped the short distance to the ground outside, landing on his feet. A mistake. His injured leg crumpled as soon as he hit the ground, and he barely stifled a scream as he collapsed in a heap.

Morro let out a low moan and he pressed his hands against the stone ground to keep them from shaking. Why had he done that? Someone was going to find him. Still shaking, he looked around the alley he had fallen into. No one was nearby. Except... Morro looked up to his right to see a tiny orange shape hovering about fifteen feet in the air. What was that? It looked like some sort of fiery ghost. It floated closer and Morro saw that it was, indeed, a ghost. A... skreemer. That's what it was called. It was almost close enough for him to touch it now. Then it started floating away. Morro lifted one hand and reached towards the ghost. It stopped, turning back to him. Morro's eyes closed of their own accord and he forced them open. The pain in his leg was making it hard to think. The skreemer floated closer to him, then away, then looked back at him again. He needed to follow it. But he could barely walk...

Gingerly, Morro stretched out his injured leg, hissing at the pain. It was bruised and was bent slightly the wrong way, but it didn't look that bad. Definitely broken, though. What did you do with a broken bone? It took a few moments for him to remember. Morro glanced around the alley he lay in for a few moments before the fiery skreemer floated down to the ground above a metal rod. It was exactly what he needed. The skreemer was helping him? Huh. Morro reached over and took the rod, hesitantly nodding to the ghost in thanks. He set it next to his leg, and, after a few moments, ripped a strip of cloth from the already-tattered shirt he was wearing, tying it around his leg and attaching it to the rod. Ripping another strip off his shirt, he tied it around his leg farther down tightly. There. With his leg sufficiently splinted, he gingerly got to his feet, keeping most of his weight on his left leg. Carefully, he took a step forward. To his relief, the pain wasn't so bad now. Gaining confidence, Morro approached the flaming ghost, which floated a little farther away whenever he got close. He followed the ghost out of the alley and through the town, farther and farther away until the town was out of sight.

Forgotten

Bansha opened the door to the storeroom and was met with only silence. She had searched the entire base and part of the village, but, to her annoyance, she had found no sign of either Ghoultar or Wrayth. She had decided to check on Morro before looking for them further. Bansha floated into the room slowly, glancing back and forth for any sign of the master of wind.

"Morro?" she called quietly. No answer. Had he fallen asleep, maybe? She approached the back of the room where she's left him and looked around with a frown. Where did he go? She felt a breeze blow past her and turned. Maybe Morro had discovered his wind- her thought broke off and she hissed when she realized the window was broken. Floating over hurriedly, she examined the jagged window frame. The broken glass was on the outside, which meant the window had been smashed from the inside. Had Morro broken it? Why? Maybe someone had come in and seen him, and he had broken the window to escape. Bansha, after solidifying her less-maneuverable tail into legs, climbed through the window, avoiding the broken glass that still clung to the frame. She dropped to the ground outside and glanced back and forth in the alley. After a brief examination, she found a shred of dark green fabric speared on the point of one of the shards of glass. The exact color of Morro's clothing. He had been here, alright. But where had he gone? Straightening up, she felt a tinge of worry as she looked both ways down the alley again. Soul Archer would be upset to hear that Morro was missing. And besides, the wind master was injured. How had he run, anyway? When she left him, he could barely walk. Suddenly, a mark on the ground caught her eye and she looked closer. A faint trail of footprints ran along the dirt and dust that lay on the ground, and she knew immediately that they were Morro's, due to the right leg being all but dragged behind the other. There were no other footprints, though. But that didn't mean anything. Morro couldn't transform his legs into a tail due to his injury, but anyone pursuing him could easily. After a moment, Bansha turned and followed Morro's tracks out of the alley.

Forgotten

Morro followed the skreemer for hours, his injured leg throbbing with every step. He didn't know where it was leading him, but every time he stopped or fell behind it would wait for him, so he kept following it. He was in a forest now, and was limping down a gradual slope. It was easier to run now, since he could use the trees to help catch his balance, but his injured leg frequently caught on plants and sticks, making him trip. Just when he felt like if he ran another step he would collapse, he saw the skreemer stop in a small clearing ahead. He finally caught up to the ghost and found the flaming creature hovering over a wide pit in the ground. It was filled with some sort of dark substance that vibrated slightly. Morro eased himself to the ground next the the pit, staring at the... thing. Cautiously, he reached out and touched it. It burned him. With a hiss of pain, Morro yanked his hand back. What _was_ that? A memory surfaced in his brain. Water. Water hurt ghosts. Shaking his hand off, Morro edged away from the pool. He looked up at the skreemer, which was watching him patiently. What did it want him to do? Suddenly, a crack resounded through the woods behind him, and he spun around to see a tall ghost hovering just inside the clearing. His clothes resembled Bansha's, but this ghost had a face like a skull and wielded a scythe. And it looked mad.

"MORRO!" the ghost bellowed, making Morro scramble backwards in fear. "You made great mistake in coming back to Cursed Realm! Now you PAY!" Morro got to his feet unsteadily as the ghost approached, turning and running for the cover of the trees. Unfortunately, his leg caught a branch and he tripped, falling to the mossy ground. The ghost swung his scythe towards him and Morro rolled out of the way just in time. The blade whizzed past him and he tried to get to his feet, but the handle of the scythe stuck him in the side of the head, sending him back to the ground as stars flashed in front of his eyes. So _that_ 's what Bansha meant about staying hidden, he thought as there was another crack to his head. Blackness encroached on his vision and he knew nothing more.

Forgotten

Ghoultar smirked proudly as Morro went limp on the ground. Good. Now Ghoultar could take him back to Soul Archer. Maybe Ghoultar would get a reward. As Ghoultar slid his scythe back into the sheath on his back, Ghoultar wondered how he was going to get Morro back to the base. He was, after all, unconscious. Maybe Ghoultar could drag him back. Reaching down, the scythe master grabbed Morro's leg and started to pull, but the smaller ghost jerked violently with a small cry of pain, ripping his leg out of Ghoultar's grip. It was only then that Ghoultar noticed the strange contraption attached to Morro's leg. It looked like he'd been hurt. That explains why he hadn't attacked. Ghoultar heard a rustle and turned around to see what it was. Maybe it was that fire spirit. Strange, it was gone now. But just as he thought that, the fire spirit floated out of the trees and, to Ghoultar's surprise, Bansha was right behind it. Her eyes widened at the sight of Morro on the ground, and she ran over to him, kneeling down next to him and shaking his arm gently. Ghoultar was confused. Why did Bansha care about Morro? After Bansha seemed satisfied that Morro was alright, she straightened up and glared at Ghoultar.

"What are you doing here?! I've been looking all over for you!" she demanded.

"Ghoultar was patrolling base and saw Morro running into woods." Ghoultar replied slowly. "Ghoultar found Morro here and fought him, and knocked him out." Bansha sighed deeply, turning back to Morro. Carefully, she ran her hand along his injured leg, pressing in various places. He jerked slightly and she frowned. "...should Ghoultar not fight Morro?" Ghoultar asked in confusion.

"He's lost his memory. He hardly remembers anything." Bansha replied. "No, you shouldn't fight him." Ghoultar stared into space for a few moments before her words sunk in.

"Morro doesn't remember ninja?" he asked in surprise.

"He remembers the green ninja, a little. But not his name or who he is. Morro didn't even know his own name when I found him." Bansha murmured, running a finger along the rod that was tied to Morro's leg. "Was someone chasing him?" she asked, turning back to Ghoultar, who shook his head.

"Ghoultar see no one. Morro was following fire spirit." Bansha nodded slowly.

"I followed the same spirit here. I believe it was trying to warn us of this." Bansha nodded towards the pit full of water. "I hope Morro didn't touch it." Gently, Bansha slid her hands underneath Morro, who moaned softly as she picked him up. "You can't tell anyone about him. Is that clear?" she shot a withering glance at Ghoultar. "And if you see Wrayth, tell him to find me. I need to talk to him."

"Ghoultar will do as you say." Ghoultar nodded.

"Good. Now follow me back to base." Bansha straightened up to her full height, which was a couple inches shorter than Ghoultar. "And inform Soul Archer about the water. I need to take care of Morro." Ghoultar nodded and followed her as she floated away into the woods.

* * *

 **Apparently no one told Morro you shouldn't run around with a broken leg. Or maybe they did and he just forgot. It's not unlikely.**

 **Readers: O.O What's a fire spirit?  
Me: You'll figure out next part dearies~ also plz comment on whether or not you think I should publish this separately.**

 **Ninjago Winds of Change**

 **Kai: FIGHT HIM LLOYD  
** **Lloyd: Kai...  
Kai: Huh?  
Lloyd: Help me...  
Kai: Lloyd? Is that you!?  
Me: No duh, Kai, it's Morro. Morro wants you to help him. (Don't kill me plz KRR)**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. I'm sure some of you have noticed that I sometimes say "at" instead of "as", "follows" instead of "followed" and stuff like that. I type so fast that sometimes I mistype and don't catch it. Sorry. :P**


	21. What Matters Most

**Hello again y'all. This one is a request by Leb.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Angel: "You're the Overlord... give us a reason NOT to hate you." lol. Got it. Never mess with Percy. Or Thomas. Or Lloyd. Or Nicole. *backs slowly away from blue cat lady*And Ghoultar DID hurt him, sooo... by the way, can I borrow Nicole? I need her to attack one of KRR's OCs for telling me to "go to hell".**

 **Ghost Queen: Whatever. I'll ship my ships, and you ship yours. *shrugs***

 **Petal: I think the rocks damaged his common sense... *cough* NU DON'T FORGET COOKIES! :c (Morro: These "cookie" things taste good...)**

 **Maid of Evil: What other kinds of fork are there? Food fork. I hope no one licks him... o.o**

 **KRR: I'm glad you like them. Indigo feels unappreciated. Thanks for the brownies. ^ ^ Ghost, Jay... such an idiot. As for my age, you're half a year off. xD Heh. I don't get what age has to do with anything either, me. As for Jake, tell him to come meet Angel Star Ninja's friend, Nicole, so she can beat him up. Or maybe I should just throw a table at him. Speaking of tables, how's Kayson doing? Give him a cookie for me.**

 **Samantha: Okie dokie. Well thanks. :) Morro doesn't know what it is either, so Bansha is going to explain it to him next part. She meant the water.**

 **Windy: Thanks for the feedback on Forgotten. ;) I think the rocks that fell on him damaged his common sense. Whoops. :c As for Jay, I don't think getting smacked with a pan would help, unfortunately. He'd still be a nut. xD He does need it, though. I'm sorry about your ex-friend. :( Ally told me recently that she wanted to die because she didn't think her life meant anything. I told her that it did mean something, it made my life better. The same goes for you. I love talking to you and I hope your life gets better. I pray for you every day, as often as I can. Your ex-friend reminds me of A, the girl I mentioned a while back. She was my best friend, now we barely talk once in six months. Talking with you and my other online friends helps, though. :) Currently I feel kinda sad, because I'm worried about you and Ally. But I doubt I feel as bad as you or her. My friend's name is Mackenna, she's my email friend/pen pal. It's hard to trust God when he doesn't seem to be helping you, it's true. I wish I could hear his voice, like my dad can. But sometimes God does something just to let me know he's watching. I was praying for a cat about a year ago and asked for a rainbow to be a sign if God was going to bring me one. About a month after I prayed that, a rainbow appeared after a storm. I was wondering if it had anything to do with my prayer, and another one appeared. So, two. I was still unsure, and then another appeared. And another. Four rainbows. I think that was a "yes". About a month after that, I saw a cat I didn't know in our backyard. It ran away, but we've seen it twice since. I hope I can befriend it eventually. I will continue to pray that you will get an email address. I hope you had a good day. Love you. ;)**

 **Leb: A dictator... best job ever. xD And yes, Forgotten is getting quite long. I think I'll publish it separately, since it's not a one-shot anymore.**

* * *

 **What Matters Most - Rated K - Family**

 **Summary: Garmadon and Lloyd go to a party and find something they don't expect.**

 **Takes place: A month or two after RttCR**

* * *

What Matters Most

Garmadon stood at a street corner on the sidewalk, watching the traffic zip by. The city looked a lot now like it did when he was still "Lord" Garmadon. Before the Overlord's attack that nearly destroyed the city. The grey-haired man glanced at the sky, observing the vast expanse of clear blue. Lloyd was supposed to meet him here any minute. The two had been invited to the reopening of "Grand Sensei Dareth's Mojo Dojo", which was in less than fifteen minutes. Lloyd had better hurry. Just then, Garmadon heard a shout and turned to see a neon green element dragon streaking through the sky above the city. As it neared him, it angled downward sharple, its wing nearly grazing a building, before vanishing about ten feet above the ground. A figure dressed in green dropped to the sidewalk, doing a somersault to neutralize the downwards momentum before straightening up beside his father, who was watching with mild intrest.

"Nice entrance." he complimented as Lloyd smoothed his windblown hair down with a grin.

"Thanks. I think I might've attracted the attention of some fangirls, though." the blond teen glanced over his shoulder at a small group of girls across the street, who were staring at him with wide eyes. One of them waved when Lloyd looked at them, and another fainted to the ground. The green ninja chuckled nervously as he turned back to Garmadon. "Well, we should get going. Wouldn't want to be late!" Garmadon raised an eyebrow.

"You've faces serpentine, stone warriors, nindroids, anacondri, a ghost army, and even the Overlord, and you're afraid of some fangirls?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"I can't vaporize fangirls with an energy blast." Lloyd shrugged. "They're more dangerous."

"Fair enough." Garmadon agreed. "Like you said, we don't want to be late." Lloyd nodded and the two started off down the sidewalk. It wasn't long before they turned a corner and Dareth's dojo came into view. Lloyd stopped walking as they approached the building, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"It looks just like it used to." he murmured. "Before it was destroyed when the Overlord attacked. That was where I trained to be the green ninja, back when I was a goofy little kid." he turned to Garmadon with a grin. "I attacked a punching bag with a broom once. It knocked me over." Garmadon chuckled.

"I wish I could have spent more time with you then." he sighed sadly. "Instead of spending all my time taking over the world."

"That's the Great Devourer's fault, not yours." Lloyd smiled. "Guess you'll just have to spend more time with me now, huh?"

"I suppose I will." Garmadon nodded. Just then, the Mojo Dojo's front door opened and a boy in a grey gi poked his head out. His eyes widened at the sight of Lloyd and his father, and he ducked back inside. The two on the sidewalk heard him yelling for Dareth. "Shall we?" Garmadon asked. Lloyd nodded and the pair walked up to the door. Lloyd lifted his hand to knock, but didn't get a chance as Dareth opened the door in front of them, saying,

"Welcome! You're just in time!" the brown ninja stepped back out of the way and Lloyd walked inside, Garmadon right behind him. The two found themselves in a semi-large room with various training equipment here and there, There was a long table on one end of the room with food that Garmadon recognized as being from Mister Chen's. Skylor, along with a few random people that he didn't know, were standing around talking.

"Wow." Lloyd spoke up. "It looks just like it used to. Except... is that the Helmet of Darkness?" the green ninjago pointed at an elaborate, black helmet that hung over a doorway with a curtain in it.

"Sure is." Dareth nodded. "The Stone Army did most of the restoration work on the place. They did all the heavy lifting. Heheheh. Literally." the brown ninja pulled a comb out of her pocket and flicked an unruly strand of hair back into place. "The Brown Ninja can't be bothered to do such mundane jobs, ya know?"

"But is that really a good place for it? The helmet?" Garmadon frowned. "It would be a disaster if control of the stone army fell into the wrong hands."

"Oh yeah, good point." Dareth scratched his chin. "Say, would you mind sticking it in the basement for me? I can't exactly leave my dojo during the grand opening."

"Uh... sure." Lloyd shrugged hesitantly.

"Thanks! Basement door's right over there." Dareth pointed to a door on the far side of the room before walking over to the table and helping himself to a fortune cookie. Lloyd walked over to the doorway with the helmet over it and jumped up to reach it, grabbing it off the hook it hung from before he fell back down. He and Garmadon then walked over to the basement door and opened it, revealing a rickety staircase that led down into pitch blackness. The two stared at it for a few moments before Garmadon shrugged and headed down the stairs. Lloyd followed, pulling the door shut behind them and plunging the room into inky darkness.

WhatMattersMost

Garmadon cautiously made his way down the stairs, which creaked at every step.

"Wow. Dark down here." Lloyd remarked from higher up, his voice echoing off the walls and down the stairs.

"You're not scared, are you?" Garmadon asked with a teasing smile that he knew his son couldn't see.

"Pfft, don't be silly. I'm the green ninja." a pause. "Would be handy to have some light, though." Garmadon blinked as the stairwell lit up with green light, that he knew came from an orb in his son's hand.

"That's better." the former dark lord said, peering down the stairs into the darkness below. "These are long stairs." he pointed down the stairwell at the bottom, which he could barely see.

"Yeah." Lloyd replied. The two picked their way slowly down the old wooden stairs. When they reached the bottom, Lloyd lifted the orb in his hand to reveal rows and rows of motionless stone warriors. "...are they... awake?" the blond ninja broke the silence, taking a hesitant step towards one of the warriors. It blinked and its eyes fixed on Lloyd, who jumped, startled.

"Apparently so." Garmadon remarked, clasping his hands behind his back. "Don't worry, I doubt they'll attack as long as we have the helmet."

"They attacked when nobody had the helmet." Lloyd pointed out. "So what happens when we put it down?"

"Hopefully nothing bad." Garmadon walked past Lloyd and they edged past the warriors, passing by the large army and soon arriving at the back of the room, where a bunch of boxes lay on the floor. Seeing one large enough for the helmet to fit in easily, Garmadon took the helmet from Lloyd and set it inside, setting the box's wooden lid on top.

"Well, let's go." Lloyd said, casting a glance at the army. "These guys are staring to creep me out." Garmadon nodded and the two walked back across the large room. "Dareth sure had a big basement." Lloyd commented, glancing around. "Wonder what sort of stuff he keeps down here."

"Besides the stone army? Probably more fake trophies." they both chuckled at that." Garmadon started up the long stairs again with Lloyd behind him, but stopped abruptly about halfway up at a crash and a startled shout from Lloyd. The older man turned around to see... nothing. Lloyd's light was gone. "Lloyd?" he called into the darkness. "Where are you?"

"Don't go down the stairs!" Lloyd's voice seemed to be coming from below him. "The stairs broke underneath me, there's a big hole there. Hang on." A moment later, green light shone up from a hole in the stairs a step away. Garmadon cautiously leaned over the edge to see Lloyd lying on the floor about ten feet below him, propping his upper body up with one hand and holding up the light with the other as he looked up.

"Are you alright?" Garmadon called down. At Lloyd's nod, he asked, "Have you been putting on weight?"

"Huh?"

"The stairs broke under your weight, but not mine."

"It's all muscle." Lloyd flexed his arms and Garmadon rolled his eyes. "I'd be careful. The-" the stairs crumbled without warning and Garmadon plummeted ten feet to the floor below, hitting the ground with a _smack_. "-stairs probably aren't very sturdy. You okay?" Garmadon heard Lloyd finish as he sat up, shaking his head.

"I'm fine." he accepted Lloyd's outstretched hand and was pulled to his feet.

"What is this place?" Lloyd lifted the orb of light above his head to reveal a small, stone room. Something glimmered in the corner and Lloyd took a step towards it. "What's that?"

"I don't know. It could be anything. I doubt anyone has been in this room for years." Garmadon replied. Lloyd knelt on one knee next to the object, holding his light beside it. It was some sort of box, covered in layers of dust and cobwebs that Lloyd brushed away, revealing a perfect cube that shone brightly in the green light.

"It looks like... gold." he said in awe.

"I think it's a box." Garmadon spoke up. Lloyd pried at the lid of the box for a few moments with his free hand before getting a grip on it and pushing it off, letting it clatter to the floor. He then reached inside and pulled out a small cross, gold and embedded with rubies.

"This looks ancient." Lloyd broke the silence. "Gold, jewels. Like offerings at a temple." the blond teenager grinned. "Heh, Mom would love this."

"She _will_. We can show her just as soon as we get out of these... stairs."

"Well, I can get out with Airjitzu, but I don't know how you can. Maybe Dareth has a ladder or something." Lloyd stood up and looked at the hold they had fallen through. "Trapped in Dareth's basement. Not the way I thought I'd die." Garmadon rolled his eyes at his son's obvious acting.

"Like you said, you can get out." the older man reminded him. "Go find a ladder or something."

"I don't want to leave you here in the dark." Lloyd frowned.

"Ah, I'll be fine." Garmadon waved him towards the gap in the ceiling. "Go get something to get me and these treasures out of here." After a moment, Lloyd nodded.

"If you say so." he said before walking underneath the hole and spinning into a green vortex. He shot up through the hole and landed on the stairs, which creaked ominously under his weight. Garmadon heard his son run up the stairs quickly to avoid falling through again. The green light faded away until it was gone and the room was engulfed in blackness.

WhatMattersMost

A few moments after Lloyd left, Garmadon sat down next to the wall. No point in standing around in the dark. He blinked a few times experimentally, observing that it almost seemed darker when his eyes were open than when they were closed. It must be a trick of the light. Or, rather, the lack of it. He thought the darkness might unnerve him (though of course he didn't tell Lloyd that) due to the months he spent imprisoned in the Cursed Realm, but it didn't bother him. Misako would be happy to see the artifacts they had found. But, now that he thought about it, she would be happier to see him and Lloyd home safe. She had lost them both enough times that it was logical that she worried about them every time they left the monastery. It wasn't that she thought they couldn't take care of themselves. Or, wait, maybe it was. Garmadon chuckled as he reflected on the past few years. In spite of all the battles, the hardships, and the trials their family had suffered over the past few years, they were as close as ever, if not closer. They had stuck together through thick and thin. Because, Garmadon thought as he heard the basement door open, that was what matters most.

* * *

 **"Trapped in Dareth's basement. Not the way I thought I'd die." is my favorite line. And in case you're curious, Garmadon did get out of there.**

 **Sorry this is late. I was held up by A BATTLE WITH MY SWORN ENEMY**

 **WRITER'S BLOCK**

 **In other news, I'm planning on starting the sequel for RttCR sometime late this month, earlier if I can. But I need a title. And plot ideas. A basic summary of the plot is that the Overlord is back, and he is allied with Soul Archer and Master Chen in an all-out attempt to take over the world. Near the beginning, Kai will be infected with Dark Matter, turning him evil like the Overlord did with Jay, Zane, and Cole in the battle between him and Lloyd at the end of Season 2. So, if anyone has any ideas for major plot points or just little bits, please let me know. ;)**

 **Me: *writing this*  
Ally: *throws papers* WHO CARES ABOUT WHICH NUMBER IS ON WHICH SIDE OF THE DIE I DON'T CARE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH  
Me: o.o Ally, I'm trying to write.  
Ally: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH**

 **Visualization schoolwork.**

 **~FFF**


	22. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! *throws red and green confetti* I would do review replies but I'm short on time and I want to get this out today. Sorry. ;_;**

* * *

Happy Holidays

"Hold it steady." Kai instructed, wobbling unsteadily on top of the short ladder as he tried to reach the ceiling.

"You know, maybe I should have been the one on the ladder." Jay said thoughtfully from the ground, where he was holding onto the ladder. "After all, I'm more used to being up high. My balence is probably better."

"Why is that? Whoa!" the ladder shook and Kai flailed his arms wildly, trying not to drop the string of christmas lights in his right hand.

"I fly gliders and stuff." the blue ninja shrugged. "On second thought, though, you're taller, so you should do it."

"Whatever. I wish we could just have Morro do this. After all, he can fly." Kai stood on his tiptoes, trying to reach the hooks high up on the wall.

"He's wrapping presents with Lloyd. And besides, he's creepy."

"No he's not! Do you think _Cole_ 's creepy?" Kai argued, finally managing to get the string of lights on the hook and hopping down, picking up the ladder and moving it under the next hook.

"Nah. But he's practically our brother. Morro's not. Why do you care, anyway?" Jay followed him over, steadying the ladder as Kai once again climbed up to the top step.

"Dunno. He and Lloyd are really close." the red ninja shrugged, trying to decide whether or not jumping was a good idea.

"I would think that would make you dislike him more."

"Why?"

"Protecting Lloyd is supposed to be your job."

"So I'm supposed to be jealous of him? Course not. Lloyd needs all the protection he can get. Despite him being the green ninja. Most of the world either wants to hug him or kill him." Kai chuckled and Jay snickered.

"Yeah. Poor guy." a pause. "Hey, think we should hang up mistletoe?"

"Don't see why not. Do we have any?"

"Sure." Jay let go of the ladder and began rummaging around in a box of christmas decorations on the floor. Kai, oblivious to the fact that Jay was no longer holding on, jumped up off the top step of the ladder and tried to reach the hook. He successfully hooked the string of lights on, but at soon as he landed the ladder tipped to the side, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Ow." he muttered, shaking his head back and forth as he sat up.

"Whoops. Sorry." Jay coughed as he held up a sprig of mistletoe. "Wanna put this somewhere?"

"Don't hold that over my head!" Kai swatted the decoration away from him. "If we're under the mistletoe we'll have to..." he trailed off as Jay's eyes widened.

"Oh. Bleeeuuuuggguuueee." the lightning master made an exaggerated disgusted face, which made Kai laugh. This, in turn, made Jay laugh, and soon they were both lying on the floor laughing.

"What's so funny?" the two looked up at a girl's voice to see Tellen and Anna standing in the doorway. After spending a few moments calming his laughter, Kai explained.

"I was warning Jay not to accidentally hold the mistletoe over our heads."

"Why not?" Anna tilted her head.

"Because-" Kai started, but Jay cut him off.

"I'll show you. Come over here." puzzled, the two walked over as Jay got to his feet and held the sprig of greenery over their heads. "Now you have to kiss."

"Okay." Anna instantly turned and kissed Tellen on the cheek. The brown-haired boy yelped and jumped away.

"Ew!" he exclaimed as Anna laughed. "Remind me to stay away from that... whatsit called? Missile-toe?"

"Mistletoe. Close enough." Kai jumped to his feet, snatching the dangerous decoration away from Jay. "And yeah, stay away from it."

"Right. Whatever." Anna shrugged and left the room, a still-grumbling Tellen behind her. The two ninja stood in silence for a few moments before Kai followed the two out of the room, saying,

"You work on the lights. I'm going to go find a taller ladder."

HappyHolidays

"But how does it work?" Lloyd turned from the gift he was wrapping towards Morro, who was frowning at the box in front of him.

"It's not that hard. Watch me." the green ninja folded a piece of wrapping paper on his box and taped it in place. Hesitantly, Morro followed his lead as he finished wrapping his gift. The ghost boy's box wasn't as neat, but it got the job done.

"So... like that?" he asked, pulling his hands away from the box.

"Perfect." Lloyd gave him an encouraging smile which Morro returned. "Hey, when you were younger, did you celebrate christmas with Sensei?"

"I did." Morro smiled at the memory. "I rarely got him any gifts, but every winter he would go down to the nearest village and get a christmas tree. Then, on christmas eve, he would dress up in red robes with white fur and put boxes under the tree. He called himself "Santa". He never fooled me." Lloyd laughed.

"He does that here, too. He's a bit more convincing, now, though, since he has an actual beard." they both chuckled at that. Just then, the door opened to Lloyd's bedroom and Kai poked his head in.

"You guys finished wrapping presents yet?" he asked as Lloyd quickly shoved an unwrapped gift behind his back.

"No! Shoo!" Lloyd waved him away. "Knock first, silly."

"Alright, alright." Kai closed the door halfway. "But when you're done, can I borrow Morro? Hey, that rhymed!"

"I guess." Lloyd looked over at the ghost, who nodded. "Why?"

"Jay and I are having trouble hanging christmas lights, and Morro can fly." the fire ninja shrugged. "Also your mom is making cookies, so Jay and I want to hurry up and finish so we can eat some."

"She probably won't let you." Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Well then I'll sneak past her. I am a ninja, after all." Kai struck a ninja pose.

"I wouldn't try it." Morro shook his head. "Nya's in there too, and she's a ninja. Besides, Misako can be dangerous when she wants to be."

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked curiously.

"I startled her once and she hit me with a spatula." Morro replied with a grin. Kai snorted with laughter and Lloyd chuckled. "And, before you ask, I have no idea why she has deepstone cooking utensils." that made Kai and Lloyd laugh harder. Once their laughter died down, Kai said,

"Well, I better leave you guys alone if I ever want to get any of those cookies." he closed the door and Lloyd and Morro were silent for a few moments before Lloyd shrugged and they went back to wrapping presents.

HappyHolidays

"This batch is done." Nya announced, pulling a tray of perfectly-baked cookies out of the monastery's biggest oven.

"Good. Bring them over here." Misako instructed from the counter a few feet away, where she was icing a previously-baked batch. Indigo was standing in the corner, watching curiously. She didn't seem to have noticed that her foot was partly through a wall. "Indigo, do you want to help?" Misako asked, smiling at the ghost girl.

"Um, no thanks." Indigo shook her head shyly. "I'd rather just watch."

"That's fine." Misako said, turning back to the cookies in front of her. As she was about to resume frosting them, she paused, frowning. Out of the fourteen cookies she had already iced, three of them were missing. "Nya, did you take any of these cookies?"

"No. Why?" Nya shook her head, not looking up from the dough she was rolling out. Misako opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by Indigo, who yelled,

"There!" and dashed through the kitchen wall. A moment later, the two still in the kitchen heard a surprised yelp and a groan. Misako left the counter and looked out into the hall to see Kai, Jay, and Lloyd standing a couple feet down the hall. The three of them each held a cookie, and Jay had frosting on his face. Indigo was holding onto Lloyd's arm, who chuckled guiltily as Misako stepped into the hall.

"I told you it wouldn't work." Morro's voice came from behind the four, and Misako noticed him standing there with a slight smile on his face for the first time.

"Then you were right. Hand over the cookies." she stretched out her free hand towards the three.

"Wra coofeefs?" they all turned to look at Jay, whose hands were empty and his mouth was full. Following the blue ninja's lead, Kai and Lloyd made short work of their cookies as well.

"Yeah, what cookies?" Kai asked with an innocent smile after he had swallowed his. Misako whacked him with the spatula in her left hand, making him yelp and Indigo laugh. "Ow!" the fire ninja whined, rubbing his head. "Why don't you hit Jay? He did it too!"

"So did Lloyd!" Jay defended himself.

"It was their idea!" Lloyd argued, hiding behind Kai, who moved out of the way.

"You three are so immature." Nya called from inside the kitchen.

" _I'm_ not immature. I'm twelve." Lloyd called back.

"Huh?" Indigo gave him a confused look.

"I'll explain later."

"But you know you could have just _asked_ for some, right?" Nya walked out into the hall with her hands on her hips, a deepstone rolling pin in one hand.

"Would you have let us have any?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope. But you still could have asked. Christmas cookies are for eating on Christmas, not Christmas Eve."

"Whatever." Kai muttered.

"Hey, why do you have a rolling pin made of deepstone?" Lloyd asked, poitning at the black utensil.

"Cole bought a bunch after he became a ghost. He still loves cooking just as much as before, but he was having trouble holding onto the regular ones." the water ninja shrugged.

"Did I hear my name?" Cole said from behind them, and Misako turned around to see him turn the corner and walk over. "What's going on?"

"Nya was explaining why all our utensils are made of deepstone." Misako replied.

"Oh yes! That reminds me!" Cole snapped his fingers. "As far as I know, there's only one thing wrong with Christmas."

"What's that?" Indigo asked.

"No cake." Cole replied. Lloyd laughed.

"There's fruitcake." Kai pointed out as Jay quietly snuck past Nya into the kitchen.

"It's not the same." Cole shook his head with a sigh. Just then, Nya glanced into the kitchen and yelled,

"HEY!" before running in. A moment later, Jay dashed out, a cookie in each hand and one in his mouth. He dashed around the corner a second before Nya exited the kitchen, who stopped. "I'll never catch him now." she said with a chuckle.

"Nope. Well, I guess we should leave now." Lloyd said, yanking his arm out of Indigo's grip. She grabbed him again before he could go anywhere. "Let go of me." he said with a frown.

"No. You stole a cookie." she replied with a shrug.

"So? You can't really prove that. I ate it."

"Aha! You admit it!" Indigo stood on her tiptoes, trying to bring herself to his height but failing. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of... something. You too, Kai." she tried to grab his arm as well, but he stepped easily out of her reach. Unfortunately for him, he stepped right into Morro's reach, who grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back.

"You can't prove anything!' Kai yelled in mock seriousness.

"Yes we can. You have icing on your face." Morro pointed out. Kai licked it off.

"It's too late! I declare you both guilty and sentance you to..." Indigo paused for dramatic effect. "Five years of being a ninja!"

"And getting whacked with a spatula." Misako added, smacking Lloyd semi-gently with the spatula.

"Ow." Lloyd shook his head. "When did law enforcement around here get so violent."

"Since someone stole cookies." Nya called from the kitchen. "And if you clowns are finished goofing off, go hunt down Jay for me, will you?"

"Sure." Lloyd shrugged Indigo's hand off his arm and walked off down the hall. Morro released Kai, who followed.

"Well, I better get back to icing cookies." Misako said after a moment, turning to Morro and Indigo. "Would you two mind guarding the kitchen against potential cookie thieves?"

"Nope!" Indigo shook her head. "I don't mind, at least."

"Neither do I." Morro smiled at the younger ghost. Misako nodded and went back into the kitchen to frost more cookies.

HappyHolidays

"Ness. Psst." Ness woke up to her red-haired roommate shaking her. "Tellen says Santa's here!" Anna whispered excitedly. Ness sat up on her bed to see that Supergem and Nya were still asleep.

"Where?" she whispered back as she hopped out of bed. Anna grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hall, where Tellen was waiting. Together, the three snuck down the hall towards where Tellen had seen the jolly old elf. Once they reached it, the silently peeked around the corner to see a man in red robes placing presents under the tree.

"Wow..." Anna breathed. A moment later, she frowned. "Wait, that's not Santa." she whispered. "That's Sensei."

"Which Sensei?" Tellen asked.

"Sensei Wu. Duh." Anna rolled her eyes. "How many senseis do we have around here?"

"Two." Ness whispered in reply. "And be quiet, you two. He'll hear us."

"But why is Sensei pretending to be Santa?" Tellen whispered.

"Maybe Santa's busy with the rest of Ninjago, and he asked Sensei to help. He is the son of the First Spinjitzu Master, after all." Ness mused.

"Who? Santa?" Tellen tilted his head.

"No, Sensei, you idiot!" Ness whacked him.

"Or maybe..." Anna's eyes widened. "Maybe Sensei _is_ Santa." the three stared at each other in awed silence for a moment. Just then, Sensei/Santa looked up and the students quickly ducked back behind the wall.

"We should go back to our rooms." Ness whispered. "Before he catches us and puts coal in our stockings."

"Good idea." Anna whispered back. Tellen nodded and the three crept back away down the hall to eagerly await Christmas Day.

* * *

 **Welp, hope you liked. Have a great Christmas, everyone. ;)**

 **~FFF**


	23. And a Happy New Year

**we WISH you a merry CHRISTmas**

 **we WISH you a merry CHRISTmas**

 **we WISH you a merry CHRISTmas**

 **and a HAPP-Y NEW YEAR**

 **My brain convinced me to write a New Year's one-shot. I guess it has some use after all.**

 **Review reply (ima just gonna save the Forgotten ones for the last chapter of Forgotten):**

 **Ruby: That... sounds... gruesome. Sorry I don't want to write that. *COUGH* For starters, I don't think that counts as fitting in with the RttCR universe. Jay and Cole aren't main characters, sooo... besides, it doesn't make any sense. If it was just a dream, why the heck would Jay have blood on him? Sounds like a creepypasta. :P So no.**

 **Now you can read it.**

* * *

And a Happy New Year

"Gin." Jay declared, holding up his cards to Kai, who groaned.

"What?" Gin looked up from where she was sitting against the wall a few feet away.

"No, it's a card game." Jay shook his head. "Never mind. We should probably play something else, huh Kai?"

"Right." it was 10:54 PM on New Year's eve, and the residents of the Garmadon monastery were packed into the living room, eagerly awaiting midnight. Kai and Jay sat in the middle of the floor playing card games, Cole and Zane talked about cooking on the left side of the room., Sensei Wu meditated in a corner, and Nya, Misako, and Gin watched the small TV mounted on the wall, on which various celebrities blabbered about random stuff. Garmadon wasn't currently in the room, since he had gone to get make a pot of tea, Lloyd, Morro, and Indigo were seated on the small couch that faced the TV, and the three students and Sara/Supergem were dashing in circles around the room for no apparent reason. The Ninja had been invited to numerous highbrow New Year's parties, but they had declined in favor of a quiet(er) night at home.

"Are you tired?" Morro asked Indigo, who was resting her head on his shoulder sleepily.

"No." she murmured in reply.

"You look like you are." Lloyd pointed out from Morro's other side.

"Nope. Just pretending to be so I can throw you off."

"Your eyes are closed."

"That's because there's nothing to look at."

"You could look at the TV."

"Why would I do that? It's just flashing colors and a bunch of people I don't know."

"That's true." Morro cut in, interrupting their brief argument. "If you fall asleep, though, I'll wake you up before midnight." he gave her hand, which was clasped with his, a gentle squeeze.

"Alright. But what if _you_ fall asleep?" she opened one eye to look up at him.

"Then you can wake me up."

"What if you _both_ fall asleep?" Lloyd broke in.

"Then you wake us up." Morro replied.

"What if _all three_ of you fall asleep?!" Tellen demanded, popping up next to Indigo's side of the couch and startling the ghost girl.

"Then you wake us up. You've got so much energy that I doubt _you'll_ ever fall asleep." Lloyd stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He was getting tired too, though of course he wouldn't admit it.

"I dunno. Anna and Ness are already asleep." the brown-haired boy gestured to the two female students, who were snuggled up together on the floor, Anna using Ness for a pillow. Sara looked tired as well, though she was only five. "Besides, aren't you like the _master_ of energy?"

"Different kind of energy." Lloyd rolled his eyes and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.

"Forty-five minutes to go." Zane announced from the other side of the room.

"Already? Wow. Time flies." Indigo remarked.

"If you want it to slow down, I suggest staring at the clock." Lloyd spoke up. "That slows time _way_ down."

"I'm way too busy for that." she closed her eyes again.

"You're sitting on the couch doing nothing." the blond boy pointed out.

"Yes. I'm busy doing that."

"You're really too lazy to lift your head?" Lloyd laughed, earning himself a glare from the void master.

"Well at least I'm not a grasshopper." she smirked.

"Neither am I!" he protested.

"I don't think you're going to win this argument, Lloyd." Morro chuckled, ruffling the younger boy's hair.

"Hey!" Lloyd shook his head, smoothing his hair down. "How would you like it if I messed up your hair?!"

"Shh." Morro put a finger to his lips with one hand, pointing at the floor with the other. Lloyd followed his gaze to see Jay sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. All four of the younger kids and Gin were asleep now too. Kai looked about to fall asleep as well, leaning against a bookcase with his eyes half closed.

"Huh." Lloyd grinned. "We should wake them up before midnight."

"Right. Or _I_ will, if you've fallen asleep." the ghost replied with a teasing smile.

"Why would I fall asleep? I'm not tired at all." the blond boy rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. Unfortunately, his words' effectiveness were ruined when he couldn't hide a yawn.

"Right." Morro nodded with a perfectly straight face. "Not tired at all."

"Nope." Lloyd shook his head and Morro chuckled.

"Indigo fell asleep." the ghost boy remarked a second later. The green ninja looked down from the ceiling to see that the void master had indeed fallen asleep, cuddled up next to Morro.

"So much for not being tired." Lloyd chuckled as Morro wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her close.

"If she was wrong, who's to say you're not?" Morro pointed out, turning to the green-eyed boy.

"I- well- she's a _girl_." Lloyd defended himself. "Boys generally have more energy than girls."

"I resent that." Nya called from the other side of the room. "Don't be sexist. Come over here so I can splash you."

"I said "generally". And no thanks. I think I'll stay here and hide behind Morro." Lloyd called back. Nya only rolled her eyes.

"Thirty-seven minutes to go." Zane chimed in.

"Getting tired yet?" Morro nudged Lloyd, who huffed.

"Course not. Like I said, I'm not tired at all." He flashed a triumphant grin.

"You will be soon." the ghost promised him, closing his eyes.

"Whatever." Lloyd turned back to the TV, where some talk show host was talking to some lady in a revealing dress. How disgusting.

"Thirty minutes to go." Zane informed them a few minutes later. Unfortunately, Morro was right. Lloyd _was_ getting tired.

"Hey Morro," he spoke up, trying not to let his exhaustion show. "Are _you_ tired?"

"No." was the ghost's calm reply. His eyes were still closed, but he didn't really look tired. Just... calm. Or bored. Who could tell? Closing his eyes, Lloyd gave up on trying to stay awake and rested his head on Morro's shoulder.

"I told you." he heard Morro say.

"Mmmph." was Lloyd's only response. Moments later, he sunk into the blissful darkness of sleep.

AndAHappyNewYear

Morro smiled down at Lloyd as the younger boy fell asleep on his shoulder. He loved both him and Indigo so much. In different ways, but still. He couldn't imagine life without them.

"You look squished." Nya remarked, observing Indigo and Lloyd asleep on either side of him.

"Maybe a little." Morro replied, stroking Indigo's hair gently.

"Twenty minutes to go." Zane spoke up. Cole was asleep, now, too, leaning against the wall beside Zane. Wu, Garmadon, and Misako were still awake, though, and were sharing a pot of tea on the other side of the room. Out of the ninja, though, Nya and Zane were the only ones still awake. The peaceful atmosphere of the room did make one tired, though, so Morro could understand why almost everyone was asleep. It occurred to him then that It had been almost exactly a year since he had released the Preeminent. That was during a New Year's celebration in Stiix, which took place on New Year's Day. It really had been a long time, hadn't it?

"Fifteen minutes." Morro blinked at Zane's reminder. Time really was flying. Next to him, Lloyd shifted and smiled in his sleep. Morro wondered what the younger boy was dreaming about. Hopefully something good. The ghost boy stayed there with his two best friends beside him until 11:55 PM, five minutes before midnight. Then he gently shook them awake.

"Lloyd, Indigo, it's almost midnight. Wake up." he said as they opened their eyes.

"I wasn't asleep..." Lloyd mumbled, sitting upright and blinking in the light of the still-blaring TV.

"Yes you were. Go wake up the others." Morro replied, pushing Lloyd forward and causing him to fall off the couch.

"You're mean." the blond boy muttered, obviously not meaning it, as he stretched and got to work waking people up.

AndAHappyNewYear

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six!" Most of the people in the room chanted in unison with the crowd on the TV, the exceptions being Sensei Wu, Morro, Indigo, and Sara, as they counted down to midnight and the new year. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" they cheered as a bell rang loudly on the TV. Tellen and Anna tossed handfuls of confetti in the air and Jay popped a balloon he had blown up. This startled Sara, who pounced on him and began pulling his hair as Garmadon and Misako shared a New Year's kiss. Morro and Indigo did the same, but Jay was unfortunately too busy being clobbered to kiss Nya. After the initial excitement was over, Ness spoke up.

"That was fun. Can we sleep now?"

"Of course." Misako nodded.

"Great!" the blond girl then proceeded to flop over on the ground and fall asleep instantly, making the rest of the room laugh.

"Lloyd." the green ninja looked up at his name to see Morro smiling. "Happy new year."

"Happy new year."

* * *

 **Well that was fun.**

 **~FFF**


	24. In the Shadows

***takes deep breath* HieveryoneImbacksorryItookforevertoupdateIblameschoolandmyparentsformovingmycomputerandthishorriblecaseofprocrastinationandthi** **sotherillnessImsickwithsoanywayImsorryagain**

 **foof. Okay, this is a request by Samantha.**

 **Review replies(for Forgotten):**

 **ShinyShiny: Thanks so much for the encouragement. I really appreciate the review. :) I'm glad it's not just me. xD**

 **Angel: Okie dokie.**

 **KRR/Jake: I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.**

 **KRR/other random people: Hi Stan. Wow, I've never had someone have a crush on me before. Actually there's someone who might... but whatever. I don't have a phone, actually. So I can't give you my number. Ally ships EraseFandom now. And YES I HAVE A SHOTGUN SO WATCH OUT KAI AND COLE *moonwalks out***

 **Samantha: All the new episodes are on Youtube, so if you can get onto that you can watch them. You are right to be scared, the new episodes are scary... I probably won't start Return of the Overlord till february or something... definitely not until I at least see all of the new season. Which won't be until the end of the month.**

 **Leb: At youth group this week I pulled my nunchucks out of my purse. Everyone kinda stayed away from me after that. xD Someone was being an idiot and I whacked them. Unfortunately some guy said I wasn't allowed to clobber people. :P Oh well. Look on Youtube for the new episodes.**

 **Windy: I'm pretty sure I actually have a chapter READY for Despair, I just haven't been able to post it. :P I should do that. Yeah, darn ghosts. The Overlord almost won the last time he had that. That was indeed a weird fortune. xD The new season is... intresting. I don't know if it's on CN, since we don't have cable or satellite or anything. The new episodes I've seen are on Youtube. Oh dear. :C I hope your knee has healed by now. I know that review came a while ago... cough. I hope your MRI was okay. Feel free to email me whenever. Thanks so much for the message! It was really encouraging. I would email it back to you, but I don't have your email address. heh. Also I don't think I have 14 friends...**

 **Petal: That's perfectly okay. I was super later too. Heh. Oh dear. :( Ghost Queen seems to have a knack for getting in trouble.**

 **So here you go. Le late one-shot.**

* * *

In the Shadows

Lloyd lifted his head off his pillow, blinking sleepily in the pale, white moonlight that streamed through the window. He glanced at the clock. Past midnight. What had woken him up? As if in answer to his question, a low, eerie howl floated up from the woods behind the monastery. Right. Wolves. Lloyd lay back down on his pillow, closing his eyes to go back to sleep, when something occurred to him. That wasn't a wolf's howl. It almost sounded like... a dragon? Ultra Dragon? The four-headed dragon was supposed to be in a endangered wildlife reserve on the other side of the continent, though, and they probably hadn't run- er, flown away. So what was it? Sitting up, the blond-haired teenager hopped off his bed and stumbled over to the window that faced the woods. He stared out over the moonlit field behind the monastery, his trained eyes searching for any sign of movement. Nothing. Whatever it was, it must be in the woods. Another howl filled the air, and this time Lloyd thought he saw a flash of movement on the edge of the trees. Might as well go check it out. After a moment, the green ninja pushed the window open, climbing out through the open frame and dropping twenty feet to the ground below. After doing a roll to negate the downwards momentum, he straightened up and began to run silently towards the woods.

"Lloyd?" the blond boy startled at the sound of his name and stopped, turning around to see Morro standing a few feet away. "What are you doing out here?"

"I heard some weird howling and came to check it out. What are _you_ doing out here?"

"Same." Morro walked up next to him. "Have you ever heard anything like it?"

"Nope." Lloyd looked up at the full moon, which hung in the sky above their heads. "Werewolves?"

"Those don't exist." the ghost rolled his eyes.

"Who knows? I used to think ghosts didn't exist." Lloyd shrugged as he started walking again.

"True enough." Morro nodded as he followed the younger boy. The two walked in silence for a few moments before another howl split the air. The two exchanged glances before Morro pointed abruptly at the treeline. "There!" he exclaimed. Lloyd turned just in time to see a dark shape disappear into the forest. The two took off after it, chasing the figure into the woods and through the trees until they were hopelessly lost.

"Where are we?" Lloyd broke the silence as they slowed to a stop.

"I don't know. And we lost whatever that was, too." the wind master replied, looking around the small clearing that they stood in. Lloyd followed his gaze through the trees, and was about to suggest that they try to find their way back to the monastery when a loud howl sounded almost directly behind them. Startled, the two spun around to see a pair of bright red eyes staring at them from the shadow of a tree. The shadow moved away from the tree and a beam of moonlight fell on it, illuminating black scales. Scales?! Lloyd backed a step away as the creature snarled, and spun around as a growl sounded behind him. At least two more of the creatures crouched on the other side of the clearing.

"We're surrounded." Morro murmured, nudging Lloyd to get his attention. Sure enough, the creatures had surrounded the clearing, at least twenty of them. A couple of them were in the light that filtered through the trees, and Lloyd was able to get a better look at them. They were covered in shiny black scales, with claws at the ends of their fingers. They had lizard-like tails, the tips of which were tinted a dark color, as well as their hair and the tips of their claws. One of the ones he saw was tinted purple, the other was tinted dull green. Their hair was long and ragged, and was either dark gray, black, or the color of their claws. Other than that, they looked distinctly human. Morro and Lloyd backed against each other, a defensive stance in case the creatures decided to attack.

"What do we do?" Lloyd whispered, cringing as his voice caused a few of the creatures to snarl.

"Don't move." Morro whispered back. "Maybe they'll leave us alone."

"What do you think they are?" Was Lloyd's next question.

"No idea." the ghost shook his head slightly. Unfortunately, the creatures didn't go away. They simply skittered around the clearing, talking to each other in squeaks and whispers. After a couple minutes, Lloyd realized something.

"I can understand them." he whispered over his shoulder.

"What?" Morro whispered back.

"They're speaking english a little. Listen." moments after the words left Lloyd's lips, however, one of the creatures emerged from the trees, looking almost regal as it stepped into the moonlight that illuminated the two in the center. "Morro." Lloyd hissed, making the ghost turn around. The creature standing in front of them seemed much more human than the rest. It stood on two feet instead of scampering along the ground, and its hair was smoother and less ragged. It met Lloyd's eyes calmly, and its arms were folded. It wore what looked like an old t-shirt and a pair of tattered pants. It was also obviously a female. But what struck Lloyd the most was the impressive pair of dark red bat wings that were folded behind the creature's back. The three were silent for a few moments, observing each other, before the creature opened her mouth and spoke.

"What are humansss and ghossstsss doing in the foressst thisss late?" Lloyd and Morro glanced at each other.

"Um... we heard the howling and wanted to see what was going on." the blond-haired boy spoke up after a moment.

"It'sss a ritual." the creature blinked, her ruby-red eyes disappearing for a moment. "What is you called?"

"What do you mean?" Morro asked, taking a step forward so Lloyd was behind him.

"What is you..." she paused for a moment as if trying to remember something. "...names?"

"Oh. I'm Lloyd. This is Morro." Lloyd replied. "What are you?" he asked after a moment.

"I am Shadeling." she flapped her wings, scattering the other creatures nearby. "My name is Ni."

"Ni. Okay." Lloyd nodded. "I've never seen any of you in the forest before."

"We perfersss to ssstay hidden." Ni said fllatly.

"Why were you howling? What ritual were you talking about?" Morro spoke up.

"It is the 13th full moon. Tonight is the hunt." Ni grinned, revealing rows of sharp fangs. "Young Shadelingsss prove themsssselvesss by killing the biggessst catch." Morro and Lloyd exchanged glances.

"...what do you mean by "catch"?" the blond boy asked after a moment.

"Not humansss, sssilly." Ni rolled her eyes. "Not ghossstsss either. Rabbitsss. Deer. Wild animalsss."

"Oh." Lloyd relaxed. "Then why did you and the other Shadelings corner us in this clearing?"

" _I_ wanted to know what you were doing here. And sssince now I know..." Ni turned around to face the other Shadelings and – much to Lloyd's surprise – snapped her fingers. "Back off. Leave them be." the others backed away into the shadows of the trees before reappearing behind Ni.

"Thanks." Morro nodded. "You're their leader, then?"

"I am their queen, yesss." Ni whacked a smaller shadeling who had gotten too close with her wing and it scrambled back. "Now go away. We have hunting to do."

"Um... okay." Lloyd shrugged and turned away from the winged shadeling, walking back the way they had come. Morro followed him, reminding him quietly,

"We don't know the way back."

"Ah, I'm sure we'll figure it out." Lloyd shrugged. "I hope we find it soon, though. It's the middle of the night and I'm tired."

"Need me to carry you?" the green ninja looked over his shoulder to see Morro giving him a teasing smile.

"No. Of course not. " Lloyd shook his head. "I'm a _ninja_. I can walk by myself."

"A twelve-year-old ninja." Morro countered.

"If we're talking in terns of real age, you're an old man!"

"I am _not!_ I'm only about thirty!"

"Still way older than me."

"Which is twelve."

"You're silly.'

"I win."

* * *

 **That ending could have been better I think... but anyway sorry again for lateness.**

 **Also, if you haven't noticed, the new episodes of Ninjago are up on Youtube! 55-60, I believe. So yep. Maybe I'll post something else soon too.**

 **~FFF**


	25. Dregons

**Wow, I updated. :D Unfortunately, I'm short on time, so review replies will be short.**

 **Review repliezzzz:**

 **Angel: Okay. As you might have noticed, I'm having trouble staying focused on fanfictions as well.**

 **Guest: Um... what? Have you read any of my other stories?**

 **KRR: ...well that was weird... poor Jake. What's with the nosebleed, Stan? Also, Tylor, I would appreciate it if you didn't blasphemy.**

 **Windy: Oh dear. :C Does your leg hurt much? Yeah, the ending was fun to write. C: Ronin though... agh. *shakes head slowly* anyway. I look forward to being able to read your stories. :)**

 **Petal: I know hardly anything about Slenderman. I would look him up, but that would only result in nightmares. I know that from experience. Very true.**

 **Samantha: I'm glad you liked it. :)**

 **Leb: The new episodes are pretty awesome. ^ ^ Don't get arrested! Then you couldn't review on my stories!**

 **This one is a request by Windy. Probably I'll do Visatoarea10's next.**

* * *

Dregons

Jessica walked down a sidewalk in New Ninjago City, humming softly to herself as she walked home from school. There was a bus, of course, but it was a nice day and she had felt like walking instead. That day had gone pretty well. She hadn't had to beat anyone up, she hadn't lost any friends, and she hadn't failed any classes. School sucked. After Lloyd had sent her home to her parents, her life had gotten much more... boring. Her parents were – surprisingly – not mad at her for running away, and welcomed her back with no punishment. She did have to go back to school though, which, as she had already established, sucked. She was picked on for being behind on her studies, as well as for being a Christian. The latter didn't really bother her, though. After all, the Bible said that those who were persecuted for following God would build up rewards in heaven. Still, it was hard only having one friend her age. Jessica was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice the young man in front of her until she bumped into him.

"Sorry." she said automatically, looking up from the ground to see a teenage boy in green standing on the sidewalk in front of her. With blond hair. And green eyes. "Lloyd?!" she exclaimed in surprise. His eyes widened in recognition.

"Shh!" he put a hand over her mouth. "I'm hiding." she nodded and he pulled his hand away.

"It's been forever since I've seen you!" she whispered. "I mean, face-to-face. You're on TV a lot. Wait, why are you hiding?" she tilted her head in confusion.

"Hiding from fangirls." Lloyd coughed. "Yeah. Ever since the other ninja and I beat the Preeminent, we're... well, celebrities. I'm on TV and the covers of magazines and all that. And now I can't go anywhere without getting swarmed by fangirls."

"Oh yeah." Jessica nodded. "Hence the hat."

"Yeah." the blond boy adjusted the fedora on his head. "How do I look?"

"Like you."

"Darn." he chuckled. "So how are you doing? I haven't heard from you since you went back home."

"Pretty well, I guess." she shrugged. "My life isn't nearly as interesting now as it used to be. But at least now I have a home." she smiled. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too." he replied, returning her smile.

"Really?" she asked, surprised. he opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a shout.

"Look! It's the green ninja!" a female voice yelled. "Right there!" Lloyd and Jessica turned to see a mob of girls across the street, one of whom was pointing at the blond-haired boy.

"Aaaaaaand that's the end of that." Lloyd let out a slow breath as the girls started to weave through the traffic towards them. A flash of green lit up the darkening street and the green energy dragon appeared. As Lloyd jumped into its saddle, Jessica sighed. Their first meeting in months and a bunch of fangirls had to go and ruin it. "Jessica!" she looked up as Lloyd said her name to see her holding out a hand to her. "Come ride with me!" she only hesitated a moment before taking his hand and letting him pull her up into the saddle. "Hold on tight." he said with a grin. She had only a moment to wrap her arms around him before the dragon took off – straight up. Jessica barely heard the chorus of disappointed "aww"s from below, she was too busy hanging on for dear life as the dragon shot upward. When they were about three hundred feet above the ground, Lloyd's dragon slowed to a stop and hovered above the city, facing the west as the sun slipped below the horizon.

"Wow." Jessica broke the silence after a few moments. "I've never seen the city from this high up before."

"Don't fall off." he reminded her, looking over his shoulder to smile at her.

"Wouldn't you catch me if I did?" she raised an eyebrow at him, returning his smile.

"Yeah, if you falling to your death didn't give me a heart attack."

"Ninjas aren't supposed to get heart attacks."

"Ninja. And they might if their friends dived off a dregon from three hundred feet in the air."

"Wanna test it?"

"No."

"I'm a daredevil. I'm sure I'd survive." she said teasingly.

"I'm serious, Jessica. Don't." he sounded worried.

"Okay. I won't." she tightened her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He made a good pillow. They were both silent for a few moments before Lloyd said,

"Jessica, I think..." he stopped. She lifted her head off his shoulder.

"Think what?" she asked curiously.

"I... think it's getting late." he said in a rush. "I should take you home."

"Oh. Okay." She let her head fall back on his shoulder. "My parents are gonna be really confused."

"Because you show up riding on a dregon with one of the most popular celebrities of the week?"

"I'm pretty sure you've been popular for more than a week. And, yep, that's about right."

"Heh." he chuckled as his dragon began to descend towards the city. "Where do you live?"

"324 Sycamore st." she replied. He nodded and steered the glowing green dragon towards her house. Once they got there, however, they were annoyed to discover a group of fangirls on the street waiting for them.

"It's hard to be inconspicuous when riding on a dregon." Lloyd muttered, shaking his head.

"I'm surprised they knew where we were going, though." Jessica said, lifting her head from his shoulder to look at the mob of fangirls.

"Never underestimate fangirls." he shook his head. After a moment, he let the dragon vanish and its two riders dropped onto the roof of Jessica's house.

"Thanks for the ride. That was fun." she smiled.

"You're welcome." he smiled back. "I have to go before the fangirls find me."

"Yeah, I know." he started to turn away, to summon his dragon again, but before he could she stepped forward and hugged him, stopping him in his tracks. After he got over his surprise, he hugged her back. "Visit again soon, 'kay?" she asked, letting go of him and stepping back.

"I'll do my best." he smiled at her one last time before summoning his dragon and flying away into the dusk.

"Jessica?" the teenage girl turned around to see her mom frowning at her through the window that opened out near her. "Why are you standing on the roof?"

* * *

 **Well that was fun. Hope you like, Windy. ;) Remember back when I said I wasn't going to ship Lloyd and Jessica? So much for that.**

 **~FFF**

 **P.S. I would appreciate some nice reviews, to remind myself that there ARE good people in the world.**


	26. Trollfic 1

**Hey everyone! Before we start, I would like to warn everyone that this is not a serious one-shot. I've gotten some requests that I didn't want to write, you probably remember that. Well, Ally offered to write them for me. Sort of. She's great at writing absolutely stupid... uh... I don't think "stories" is a good name for them. Also the spelling mistakes and bad grammar are intentional. Anyway. In other news, I have felt very burned out lately. I can't seem to write any of the requests I currently have. Maybe being sick has something to do with it. So I'm posting this stupid thing. I hope people like it... eheh... also no review replies because I just wanted to post this.**

* * *

 **WARNING: TROLLFIC AND YAOI (stupid fake yaoi that is intended to be mocking as neither Ally nor I supports Yaoi or Yuri of any kind)**

* * *

Llyod x Mroro

a fanfic by Ally Faith

prompt: You should do a yaoi for Lloyd x Morro, but Lloyd make the first move.

Llyod walked up 2 morror, he said, "hi morro i loveu"

morro was cnofused "what"

"yes i love u plx kiss me" llyod said he pushed out his lips from his face

"ok" mroro said lloyd and morror kisssed

then inigo came ina nd said "Lylyod why r u kissing my boyfiend"

llyod was like "omg indigo i luv him i can ksiss him if I want 2"

"morror why" indigo said crying from her eyes

"no i donrt love llyod" said mroror "iv love this fork" he picked up the fork and kissed it 'i lo ve u fork"

"waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah morror" indigo cried sadly

"waaaaaaaah i hate u fork" llyod said "i will use my golden power 2 wipe out all de forks!" thhen lloyd wiped out all the forks in de wurld

"noooo" cried morror "I hate u llyod" then he pushed llyod int othe ocean with malachite

"its ok morror i still luve u" indgo said

"ok i love u 2 inigo" morror and inigo kissd

"wait wat" said FFF coming in "what is going on here"

"i luv u fff here have a rose" stan said

"ok tanks stan" fff said taking the rose "what a tasty rose" she ate de trose

"what the pizza" ally said comin in on a hjoeverboard "i cant believe i wrote this thing ew it has kisssin in it"

"whats kissing" stan said

"dont ask child" all y said shep ushed stan into de coean "play cards wif malachite instead"

"ok" stan said "got and 3s?"

* * *

 **...was that the worst thing you've ever seen, or what? You can expect to see more of these in the near future as I struggle to write something good. Stan belongs to KRR and apparently Ally ships EraseFandom... eheh... again, hope you liked it. ;)**

 **~FFF/Ally**

 **P.S. Ally says "why the pizza did I write this"**


	27. Trollfic 2

**Foof... okay, I didn't post for over a week, I'm STILL sick, and I still have writers block for one-shots. Ally wrote a short stupid trollfic, tho, so that's what this is. I have actually been writing Return of the Overlord, but I haven't gotten any typed in yet. So yeah.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Windy: I really am sorry you didn't like it. That fic was not intended to ship Morro and Lloyd in any serious way. It was only supposed to show what a stupid pairing it would be. Thank you for being honest, though. I have requests, I just can't seem to write them. If you have any more ideas, though, please tell me them.**

 **KRR: FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT I DON'T SHIP YAOI OR YURI AT ALL AND NEITHER DOES ALLY AND SHE ONLY WROTE THAT TO SHOW HOW STUPID THAT PAIRING WAS. Ahem. Anyway, Ally can actually write amazingly well. She was just using terrible spelling and grammar for the sake of writing the trollfic.**

 **Angel: *shrugs* it's not supposed to be good.**

 **Leb: Lol that's what I do too. But I never have 2 months to write anything. I have a week. I still manage it (usually). Your entire manner of speaking (typing?) suggests laziness... I'm 14-16 (I'm not giving out my exact age online) and I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. R.I.P. me.**

 **Well, here's a oneshot that's shorter than the Author's notes.**

* * *

a fanfic by ally faith

"hehehe i will ender the ninjas dreasm 2 kill dem" the overload said. he snuck into their drems

"hold it" said freedy kruger "you stoled my idea ORIGINAL IDEA DONUT STEAL"

"oops" said overlard

"im suing" freedy said "100000000000000000000000000000000 dollars plz"

"i have 2 cents" over lard said digging in his pockets

"now ur going to jail" freedy said "bye bai"

"nooooooooooooo" and overlard got stuck in the cursed ralm

the end

* * *

 **Maybe I'll write something decent tonight, idk. If you want you could go back and read the older one-shots again. Those are nice.**

 **True story:**

 **Me: Sarah, would you like me to tell you a story?  
Sarah: Yeah.  
Me: What about?  
Sarah: I want a story where Morro and Lloyd fight and Morro kills Lloyd and chops off his head.  
Me: ...  
Sarah: Because I really love Morro and hate Lloyd.  
Me: ...I'm out.**

 **...and she was four when she said that. WHY ARE LITTLE KIDS SO VIOLENT THESE DAYS**

 **~FFF**


	28. A Bad Habit

**fOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREEEVEEEEERRRRRRRRR**

 **I UPDATED THIS THINGY**

 **...anyway. Have a one-shot that no one requested and I wrote like 5 months ago and never got around to typing in. It's based on some weird idea Ally had.**

 **No review replies because likely no one remembers what they reviewed on this. But. Anyway. Looking over the more recent reviews, I realized that there's like a dozen requests I never wrote. TnT so I'll try to work on that.**

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A Bad Habit

Lloyd woke up to the sound of birds singing though his partially-open window. Judging by the fact that he wasn't freezing to death, it must be a moderately-warm early March morning. As the green ninja sat up and stretched, he felt like something was off. He blinked a couple of times, trying to identify the oddly familiar feeling. He felt cold inside, and his vision was tinted slightly... green. It was then that he realized he was being possessed. Lloyd's heartrate shot up and he barely stopped himself from panicking. Who was possessing him?! Why in his sleep?! Why hadn't it woken him up?! Why... was he in control? This realization calmed him down a bit, and he forced himself to think rationally. It felt like when Morro was possessing him, but it might feel the same with all ghosts. And, unlike usual, his energy wasn't being sapped by whoever was possessing him. Was whoever possessing him... asleep? Lloyd lay back down and closed his eyes, for multiple reasons. His energy actually was being drained, and he needed his eyes closed so he could concentrate. He should be able to see the memories of the person possessing him if he did. As soon as he did, familiar images flashed in front of his eyes. Flying a kite, running through an alley, Lloyd himself holding out an apple in front of him. Definitely Morro's memories. But _why_ was Morro possessing him? While he was _asleep_ no less. Well, the only way he was going to get any answers was if he woke up Morro. So he mentally shouted as loud as he could, _Morro, wake up!_

"Wh- what...?" Morro's voice came from Lloyd's mouth, startling the younger boy. Moments later, the ghost abandoned Lloyd's body and fell off the bed, tumbling onto the floor. When he looked up, Lloyd saw a mixture of shock, remorse, and shame on his face. They stared at each other for a few long moments before Lloyd spoke up.

"Morro? What just happened?" He tried to keep the fear that still washed through him out of his voice as much as possible.

"I-I'm sorry..." was the first thing Morro said. It occurred to Lloyd that he said it a lot. "It's kind of... a habit."

"What is?"

"Sometimes when I'm asleep..." Morro looked down at the floor. "...sometimes I possess things I've possessed before."

"Why?" Lloyd frowned in confusion.

"I-I don't know. I've possessed you before, but I always woke up first and left before you did."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you." It made sense. It might make it hard to sleep if he thought that Morro would possess him if he did.

"I think what happened this morning scared me more, though." Lloyd swung his legs over the side of the bed and held out a hand towards Morro, who hesitated for a moment before taking it and letting Lloyd pull him to his feet. "Do you have any idea why?"

"No." Morro shook his head, sitting down on the bed beside Lloyd. "I always have the same dream when I do it, though."

"What's it about?"

"Our fight through the realms. Our final battle, in a sense. Except, I always kill you. I take your place as the green ninja" the ghost looked down again. "I don't know why I keep having it. I don't want that anymore. I don't want to be the green ninja."

"Well... I remember Sensei telling me that the memories that are associated with emotions are the ones you remember best. And dream about." Lloyd said after a moment. "That's why I have nightmares about the Overlord."

"And me."

"And you." the green ninja admitted. "Not as often anymore, though, since I have more memories of you as my friend." Lloyd gave the ghost an encouraging smile, which was tentatively returned. "My point is, though, you probably have dreams about our battle because that memory has a strong emotion attached to it. Probably anger." At Morro's nod, he continued."I don't know why you possess me in your sleep. But it's all right. As long as you're not doing it on purpose, I don't mind."

"Really?" Morro looked surprised. Lloyd frowned slightly. It had been over half a year since the two had become friends, but Morro still seemed afraid that Lloyd hated him for all the things he had done wrong. He was kinda dependent on him, the blond boy realized.

"Really." he assured his friend. "I've forgiven you for everything you did to me in the past. What makes you think I won't forgive you for this?"

"Nothing. I don't know." the ghost closed his eyes and sighed. "It's just... hard to believe you're not still mad at me."

"What, don't you trust me?" Lloyd smiled teasingly, continuing before the wind master had a chance to reply. "I know you do. I'm sorry it's hard for you to believe it, but I trust you with all my heart. You're one of my best friends. If it weren't for you, I never would have gotten my father back. If you haven't saved me, I would have drowned in Mt. Vetruvious. Remember?"

"You saved my life just as much as I saved yours." Morro pointed out.

"I guess, but you at least would have rematerialized back in the Cursed Realm." Lloyd shuddered as he recalled the experience. They were both silent for a few moments before Lloyd said, "Just remember that, whatever you've done, I'll forgive you."

"Whatever I've done? Anything? Even if I possessed you and hurt you and your friends all over again?" Morro turned towards him, an almost fearful look in his eyes as he awaited Lloyd's answer.

"If you apologized, yes." Lloyd shrugged. "If you were evil, I would fight you, but I would forgive you if you became good again."

"Good."

"Why?"

"Remember when I lost my memory and Bansha convinced me to join her side?"

"Yeah."

"If anything like that happens again, you need to defend yourself."

"Oh." Lloyd sighed. "I really hope we never have to deal with anything like that ever again."

"So do I." Morro nodded. "But... just in case, I want you to be safe. Lloyd nodded in reply, and the two sat in silence for a few seconds before the blond boy spoke up.

"We should probably go to breakfast before someone comes looking for us."

"Yeah." the ghost nodded. "You're sure you're not angry?"

"I'm positive." Lloyd smiled, putting a hand on Morro's shoulder.

"Alright." the ghost returned his smiled before sliding off the bed and landing on his feet on the floor. The two of them then proceeded to leave the room and head towards the dining room in search of something to eat.

* * *

 **idk if this is good or not**

 **whatever**

 **have fun and bother me about writing those things so I don't forget**

 **~FFF**


	29. A Thief's Path

**I feel bad about not posting anything for like a million years**

 **so have a oneshot I wrote that no one requested but at least one person said they would like**

 **are there reviews**

 **nope**

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A Thief's Path

"Come on, darling, keep up!" Cora called behind her, waiting to hear her charge's footsteps speed up before continuing down the alley.

"Daggerclaws says..." Indigo's breathless voice came from about ten feet back. "...he says you're going too fast!"

"Oh? Are you sure that it's him who's saying it, and not you?" the blond woman chuckled, but slowed down enough for the small girl to run up alongside her. "Maybe if you pick him up he won't be so tired."

"No." Indigo shook her head. "He doesn't like it when I pick him up. Besides," she lowered her voice to a whisper. "He's too heavy for me to pick up. Don't tell him I said that." Cora laughed, but ran a finger across her lips.

"My lips are sealed." It was so cute how she treated that cat of hers. She often had long, rambling conversations with him, where he would reply with a meow every time she finished a sentence. She would often "translate" what the kitten was saying, in an attempt to get Cora to do what she said. It didn't work.

"Where are we going, anyway?" the dark-skinned girl asked after a couple of minutes.

"To get lunch." Cora replied, slowing to a stop. Indigo stopped next to her, and, together, they peered around the corner into the Marketplace. The little girl's eyes widened as she stared into the crowd of people.

"How are we gonna get food with all these people around?"

"Sleight of hand." Cora smirked, taking a leather bag filled with glass and metal bits out of her satchel. "Follow me." Standing up straight, the blond woman stepped out of the alley and into the throng of people, making sure that Indigo was following her before continuing.

"I thought you didn't like being picked up!" She heard the young girl's indignant voice behind her. "Oh... I guess that makes sense. Oof, you're heavy!" Glancing through the crowd, Cora quickly spotted a heavy money bag, the owner of which wore extravagant clothes and jewelry. Surely he wouldn't miss a few coins. Inconspicuously moving towards him, the young woman deliberately crashed into the man, muttering an apology as she switched out her fake money bag for his. There. Enough to buy them food for a week, and then some. Backing away, Cora retreated to the far end of the street, Indigo trailing behind her with her cat in her arms. "See? the fair-skinned woman reached into the leather bag, pulling out a handful of coins and letting them fall through her fingers back into the bag. "Worked perfectly. Now we have enough to feed us both for-"

"And Daggerclaws." the dark-haired girl interrupted.

"-and Daggerclaws, for a while." Cora finished. "Come on, let's go shop.

AThief'sPath

"What is this?" Indigo frowned at the pastry in her hand, sniffing it dubiously.

"That's a donut." Cora replied, swallowing a bite of her own. "Taste it. It's delicious." Slowly, the dark-skinned girl took a bite of the glazed donut, her eyes widening in surprised as she chewed and swallowed it.

"This _is_ really good!" The blond woman chuckled, ruffling Indigo's hair.

"Told you. Come on, let's go home. It's time to practice your powers."

"But I don't waaannnnnaaaaaa." the dark-haired girl whined. "I'm scared of the fire."

"Then we won't use fire. But you still need to practice."

"Okay..." Indigo clearly wasn't excited about it, but she grudgingly agreed.

"Now, don't be so cranky about it." Cora scolded her. "You don't want to accidently put Daggerclaws to sleep again, do you?" the little girl's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. Cora had first discovered the girl's powers when she had been awoken by a scream in the middle of the night. When she had run to the source, she had found Indigo, in tears as as she tried to get her cat to wake up. While playing with him, she had accidently activated her powers and drained his energy, putting him into a harmless sleep but giving her quite the shock. It made sense, of course, as her father had been the master of void, but it hadn't occurred to her until then that Indigo might have inherited his powers. "Good. Then come along." Taking the girl's hand, Cora walked back into an alley, heading down the dark passage towards their home.

AThief'sPath

"Ready?" Cora asked, her hand poised above the lightswitch. Indigo nodded, sitting cross-legged in front of a lamp on the floor. "Alright, go!" The blond woman flipped the switch, and the lamp lit up. The little girl hesitated before reaching forward, a faint glow of purple coming from her hand. She touched the base of the glowing lightbulb, and it instantly went out. The black-haired girl looked up, a wide smile on her face as her eyes lit up.

"I did it!" she chirped.

"Yes you did." Cora smiled, turning off the lamp. "Now, I want you to run to the other side of the room and back as fast as you can. Okay? Go!" Instantly, Indigo scrambled to her feet and took off. The extra energy she had taken from the lamp made her almost twice as fast, making her clear the distance between her and the wall in record time. Unfortunately, she miscalculated when she would have to try to stop, and she crashed into the wall with a yelp. Oh dear. Quickly, Cora ran over to make sure she was alright. "Are you okay, darling?" the fair-skinned woman asked, helping the little girl to her feet.

"Y-yeah." Indigo stuttered in reply. "I-I should probably take a break..."

"Good idea. Come on." Taking her hand, the blond woman lead her upstairs, to where the two shared a bedroom. Each of them had their own mattress, Indigo's on one side of the room and Cora's larger one on the other. When it got cold, they would snuggle together in the larger bed. "You rest, okay l'il sis?" Cora smiled as the younger girl sat down on her bed. "I'll be downstairs fixing dinner."

"Okay." Indigo nodded. "If you see Daggerclaws, can you tell him to come up here?"

"Of course." the young woman chuckled softly as her charge lay down, snuggling up under her blankets. Once she was settled, Cora blew her a kiss before heading back down the rickety staircase. She was such a precious thing. She deserved better than this. Unfortunately, this was the best she could manage. Unless something changed, this was where they would stay. For the rest of their lives.

* * *

 **Cora is like an overaffectionate aunt. Too bad she dies and leaves Indigo with moral issues.**

 **I wonder if anyone will actually read this...**

 **~FFF**


	30. If Only

**FFF: Hey wassup everybody!**

 **Zena 1421: Hey guys! We did this collab thing… and yeah...**

 **FFF: She says "collab" but she did most of the work, so...**

 **Zena: Yeah, true dat… HAHAHAHAHA**

 **FFF: Anyway, hope you enjoy this! (and by enjoy I mean it makes you cry winkwink)**

* * *

If Only

"Because we've already killed him."

I froze, shaking my head in utter disbelief. It couldn't be. After all this time, I had tried to keep my son safe, but it just wasn't enough. It was too late to do anything else now. My son had died, and it was irreversible.

"No…" I whispered, tears starting to well up in my eyes. "This...This can't be real…"

I ran to my own room, collapsing upon the bed, having felt immensely overwhelmed. "Lloyd Montgomery, w-why did you have to go?!" I exclaimed, not even trying to stop the flow of tears. "I j-just… It c-can't be…" I sobbed into the mattress. "I just got you back… I th-thought you were dead once…a-and now..." I was unable to say anything more. I felt so numb. Lloyd was dead. I just didn't know how to go on from here.

"Garmadon?" Misako's voice startled me. I hadn't even realized she had come in. I didn't move, and I felt her hand rest on my shoulder. "Ohh… I'm so sorry." Her voice was shaking. She had to be as upset as I was. I lifted my head to see tears streaming down her face as well. Oh Misako… I hugged her tight, trying to slow my own tears as my wife sobbed in my arms.

Gin entered, immediately rushing to my side, also holding me close. "Dad!" she exclaimed concerningly.

"Oh, Gin…" I sobbed. "I-I can't believe Lloyd's gone… I'm so upset... It hurts… So badly... Oh, Lloyd, if only you'd known better, listened to us and hadn't run away… If you had only realized how much this would affect us all… We tried to tell you, Lloyd… I-I don't want to be mad at you right now, but it-it's just so hard not to… I-I'm devastated, Lloyd, I just…"

I couldn't say anything else, I was so upset, but I didn't really care. All I wanted was my son back. I sighed, my energy having been drained out, and fell asleep, my wife and adopted daughter leaving me in peace… But not really.

* * *

 **FFF: Angst™**

 **Zena: Okay, so that's the end of that one! Cya, Bye!**

 **~FFF & Zena 1421**


	31. I'm Here

**TIME TO GET STARTED ON THEM ONESHOTS**

 **Technically I should proooobably finish RotO first buuuuuut... nah. :)**

 **Review replies:**

 **Zena: I should hope you like it. xD**

 **LRFK: AHAHAAHAHAHAHA**

 **Windy: Me either. Poor Garmadon. :(**

 **SnowyOwlAssasin: sorry. xD**

 **TheAmberShadow: Obviously. That was intent. :D**

 **This one was requested by Windy, because it's been at least two weeks since I've posted Morro and Lloyd fluff and that's just too long.**

* * *

I'm here

"We're having a… what?" Morro frowned, watching the younger inhabitents of the Monastery fill the living room with pillows and blankets.

"A sleepover!" Gin chirped. "The other girls and I wanted to have one, and Tellen wanted to come too, and then Jay wanted in on it, so now everyone's doing it!"

"Sleeping on the floor is fun?" the ghost raised an eyebrow.

"It's not just _sleeping_ , silly." Anna rolled her eyes. It's playing games, and eating snacks, and staying up past midnight!"

"None of that!" Garmadon called over.

"Dang." Anna stuck out her tongue. "Well, still playing games and eating snacks."

"Can I pass?" Morro asked, glancing away uncomfortably.

"Nope!" Ness chirped. "Don't be such a grumpy ghostie! It'll be FUN!"

"I don't think so. Honestly, if you make me do this, I'll probably end up ruining your fun as well."

"Why?" Lloyd asked, coming up behind him. The wind master looked down.

"No reason in particular. I'm just not really that much of a party animal." He cracked a faint smile and Lloyd chuckled.

"No, that's not really a term I'd use to describe you. But still, come on. Like they said, it'll be fun." The blond boy patted his shoulder.

"If you say so." The ghost shrugged, and walked off to find a pillow and blankets.

I'mHere

lIt was around 2 AM. What was going on? Who was that? Looking around, the blond boy soon located Morro, whose hands were clenched into fists as she lay on his side on the hard floor. His eyes were closed. Was he asleep? But he was the one who screamed, hadn't he? Standing up, Lloyd picked his way across the room, trying to avoid stepping on anyone, before kneeling beside him and trying to touch his arm. He went through him.

"Morro, wake up." He whispered loudly, getting increasingly concerned as the ghost didn't respond. "Morro!" Abruptly, Morro's eyes flew open, and his gaze darted around the room for a moment before fixing on Lloyd. He visibly relaxed, whispering his name again.

"Lloyd…"

"What happened? What's wrong?" The green ninja asked softly, staring at his brother in concern as he struggled into a sitting position.

"I…" Morro started, but never finished, turning abruptly instead and hugging Lloyd tight as he buried his face in his shoulder. Lloyd hugged him back, squeezing him tight as he heard the ghost emit a quiet sob. Whatever he dreamed about, it must have been horrible.

"What happened?" the blond boy asked again, rubbing Morro's back gently.

"It… he… y-you were dead…" the wind master stuttered, trailing off. "E-every night…"

"Shhh… it's okay, I'm here." Lloyd hushed him softly, trying to calm him down. "Come on, let's go out into the hall. We don't want to wake anyone up." Morro nodded against his shoulder, pulling away slightly as Lloyd pulled him to his feet. Slowly, they maneuvered through the room full of sleeping bodies, trying not to step on anyone. When they made it out, they sat down against the wall in the hallway, Morro still holding tight to his arm as he rested his head on Lloyd's shoulder. "What did you dream about?" the green ninja asked, stroking the ghost's hair gently.

"I dreamed about the day we thought you died." Morro replied quietly, his voice more stable now. "Except, you were really dead. We attack and try to rescue you, but all we find is your-" his voice cracked and he stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing. "-your body." He sniffled. "I've h-had the same dream e-every night since that day… a-and every time I w-wake up, I'm s-so scared that rescuing you was the d-dream and you're gone…" he let out another sob, and Lloyd wrapped both arms around him.

"You've had the same nightmare every night for over two months?" he asked softly.

"Mm-hmm…"

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I d-didn't want to worry you…"

"Morro, please, if anything like this ever happens again, tell me immediately. Just the thought of you having to go through this every night…"

"W-which is why I didn't want to tell you…"

"No, Morro, listen. Me being worried isn't nearly as bad as you having a nightmare every night. Morro, if you hadn't told me, I'm sure I would have found out anyway and then I would have been upset you hadm't told me. Besides, I like fussing over you like this."

"…w-who's the mother hen now?" the ghost chuckled softly, referring to the time Lloyd accused him of acting like a mother hen.

"Me." Lloyd admitted, grinning. "But I think you need it."

"Mmm." Morro hummed, closing his eyes as he leaned on his younger brother's shoulder. "…this is why I didn't want to "sleep over" with you guys… I didn't want to ruin it for you…"

"It's not your fault. Are you tired?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. If you want, I can sleep with you, every night until you stop having this."

"I'd like that." Morro shifted closer, smiling as Lloyd ran a hand over his hair again.

"Do you want to go back in the living room?"

"C-can we just go back to my room?"

"Sure. C'mon." Putting an arm around his shoulders, Lloyd stood up, lifting the ghost to his feet. Slowly, silently, the two walked through the Monastery, ascending a flight of stairs and navigating three hallways before making it to the wind elemental's room. Once inside, the two climbed into his bed together, Lloyd wrapping his arms around his brother as Morro curled up in his arms. Before long, both of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **Plot twist: wu planned the whole thing**

 **btw if anyone requests morro and lloyd yaoi again I will end you**

 **(referring to the time someone blatantly requested hot yaoi even though I've said a million times they're not in a romantic relationship and that's just sick)**

 **~FFF**


	32. Not Your Fault

**After juggling all my school, three parties I have to get ready for, and Christmas, for a week now, I have finally completed this oneshot.**

 **This one is another request from Windy. :D**

 **Review replies:**

 **Zena: Fluff is OP. :v**

 **Rainbowlizz: It was kind of a joke, so I didn't put much thought into it, buuuuut, Wu found out that Morro was having nightmares, so innocently suggested to the girls that they should have a sleepover, then got everyone else to join in too for the sole purpose of Lloyd finding out about Morro's nightmares. Because he's a good Sensei. c:**

 **Windy: It's hard to pick a favorite out of all the fluff I've written, especially for me. xD**

 **TheAmberShadow: Yeah, poor thing. And, the way he acts, he probably never would have ended up telling anyone about it. So yeah.**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Glad you liked it! Yeah, there'll probably be a lot of Morro and Lloyd fluff oneshots since I'm basically done with RotO. This one is more OC centric, though, but that's only because Lloyd is currently dead. :v**

 **ninjachief: Ooh, ouch. I've accidently read things like that. Glad this helped. xD Aha, I knew that wasn't a false memory! :D I remembered someone requested that, but then I couldn't find the request, so... I'll probably be writing that one next. c:**

 **Samantha: I'm good at that. ;)**

 _ **Angst™**_

* * *

Not Your Fault

Indigo stared helplessly at her boyfriend from across the room, watching him as he lay, shaking, curled up in a ball on his bed. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to cheer him up, but she didn't know how. She had loved Lloyd too, they all had, but not nearly as much as Morro had. He and Lloyd were- had been so close, she sometimes wondered if he had loved him more than he loved her. It didn't matter now. Lloyd was dead. Both Morro and Jessica, her two best friends in the world, were devastated. Though the ghost boy hadn't seemed to react at first, Indigo had seen what had happened when Cole had asked him about it. He had broken down. The only other time she had seen him cry was when he thought she was dead. Oh, if only Lloyd could come back to life too. If only this was just a terrible nightmare, and she could wake up to find him safe and sound. But, it had been days. She had to face it, he was dead. There was nothing to do but grieve. Slowly, Indigo walked across the room, her light footsteps making almost no sound on the carpeted floor.

"Morro?" she said softly. He jerked, startled. He must not have heard her approach. Lifting his head, he looked up at her, meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He shook his head, rolling over to face her.

"It's not your fault..." he replied, his voice heavy with grief.

"That's not what I meant. I mean..." she trailed off, resting her hand on top of his. He took it in his, squeezing it gently. "...I know how you feel." she finished at last.

"No you don't." he muttered, tightening his grip on her hand.

"I do. I-"

"You didn't know him like I did!" Morro snapped, sitting up straight abruptly. "He was my _best friend!_ Without him, I would still be sitting in an alley eating garbage! And I'm-" His voice cracked, and he swallowed, his angry expression fading. "I-I'm the one who killed him!"

"W-what?" She tried to pull her hand free, as he was squeezing her too hard, but his grip was too strong. "What do you mean? You didn't kill him!"

"M-maybe not directly, b-but..." Morro inhaled shakily, loosening his grip on her hand. "I... before he ran away, I... I made him angry, somehow. I don't remember what I did, but I made him mad. He yelled at me. Then he left..." The ghost boy squeezed his eyes shut, bringing his free hand up to his face to cover one eye. "H-he... I miss him so much..." He let out a sob, and Indigo shifted closer. "... I-I don't know what to do w-without him..." He let go of her hand, hiding his face with both hands as he began to cry. The ghost girl moved closer again, wrapping his arms around his chest in a tight hug. He lowered his hands from his face, wrapping them around her and holding her tight as he continued to cry. She rested her head on his chest, humming softly as she tried to calm him down. Despite this, it was at least ten minutes, maybe longer, before he stopped crying.

"When I said I knew how you felt..." she said quietly after a long time. "...I meant I've lost someone close to me too." He didn't answer, but she could tell he was listening. "My guardian, Cora. When she was killed, I... I really didn't think I'd be able to survive. I didn't think I would make it on my own." She paused. "That was a long time ago."

"...w-what are you saying?" Morro asked softly, his voice raw from crying.

"I... I guess that it's not the end. You'll be okay. And, for Lloyd's sake, we can beat the Overlord." He was silent for a long time. Finally, he lay down, pulling her down next to him.

"You're right..." he murmured, pulling her close. "I... eventually, I know he would have died anyway... he was human, mortal..." Indigo snuggled closer, kissing his cheek.

"I'd never thought about that before..." she murmured.

"This is why I'm so glad you're a ghost... everyone else, they'll all die eventually, but you..." he exhaled softly. "...w-without you, I don't think I'd be able to handle it..."

"Guess my falling off a cliff was useful after all, huh?" He actually laughed, chuckling softly.

"When I first saw you, as a ghost, I was so relieved... not just that you were alive, but that you were a ghost like me... it meant I couldn't lose you."

"I never thought of that." she giggled softly. "I just... I was afraid the others would be mad at me."

"Why in Ninjago would they be mad at you?" Morro asked in surprise.

"I-I don't know, I thought... since they hated Soul Archer and his ghosts so much..."

"They accepted me and Cole, didn't they?" he kissed her hair. "Besides, the ninja don't judge you for _what_ you are, they judge you for _who_ you are."

"That was poetic." she giggled again. "Ah... I changed the subject to me, didn't I?"

"It's alright. It's good to have a distraction from... Lloyd." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I miss him so much..." Indigo was silent for a few moments before asking,

"How did you meet him? I know you tried to destroy the world once or something - not that it bothers me, I know you've changed - and he fought you, but... what happened after that? I saw you and him meeting in an alley, but I don't know how you made up." The ghost boy was silent for a few moments, thinking, before he replied,

"Well... I lived in those alleys for about a month, stealing food and finding it in the garbage, before he came across me. He was scared of me at first, since I had been... very cruel to him. In all honesty, I was scared of him too. I was unarmed, and I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to be left alone..." He sighed, pulling Indigo a little closer. "But... he was so kind to me. He came back, even after I chased him off, and he brought me food. He invited me here, even though I hurt him. He trusted me. That's why I cared about him..." his voice hitched. "Maybe it would have been better if he had never found me... if he hadn't, he would still be alive r-right now..."

"Don't say that." the ghost girl hugged him tighter. "Lloyd loved you. He was willing to look past what you did to him, that's just who he was. If he had never found you, Garmadon never would have been rescued. Or Gin. Or Bansha, Heck, _I_ would still be living in an alley. I might've died out there if it weren't for you. Wherever he is now, I'm sure Lloyd doesn't regret helping you. If he had a chance to do it again, I know he would. It's not your fault." Morro began to shake.

"B-but it is! It is my fault... I-I didn't deserve his help, I didn't deserve mercy, b-but he helped me anything a-and now he's g-gone..." her boyfriend began to cry again, hiding his face in her chest. Indigo hugged him tighter, whispering,

"It's okay... it'll be okay..." He didn't answer, just continued to sob in her arms, shaking violently as he curled up in her grasp. She held him tight for a long time - she wasn't keeping track - before his sobs quieted and his breathing evened out. He had cried himself to sleep. Resting her head on the bed, the ghost girl closed her eyes as well, exhausted from trying to comfort both him and Jessica for the last few days. Soon, she had drifted off to sleep as well. Since they were both asleep, neither one heard Kai's joyful shout from downstairs.

"Lloyd's alive!"

* * *

 **A prime example of why sleep is bad for you.**

 **Welp, back to trying to get ready for both parties I have today. Hope you enjoyed this!**


	33. Nativity Nuisance

**Me, 1st week of December: Ok I have an idea for the Christmas oneshot and I'm ready I don't need to start I have plenty of time**

 **Me, 2nd week of december: Still got time**

 **Me, the 18th: Okay I should start soon**

 **Me, the 21st: kinda running out of time here**

 **Me, Christmas Eve: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**

 **The story of my life.**

 **In other news, I've been in kinda a rut when it comes to writing lately... hence me not updating...**

 **Merry Christmas, everyone! This was co-written between Zena1421 and I.**

* * *

"Alright, so, Cole, Zane, and Kai, you can be the wise men." Lloyd announced, writing their names and roles on a sheet of notebook paper. "Any problems with that?"

"Nope." Kai shrugged.  
"Anna, Ness, Sara, you can be sheep."

"Wheee!" Sara squealed.

"Don't we need more sheep, though?" Nya spoke up. "There's supposed to be a whole lot of them."

"Well… I don't know." Lloyd shrugged. "We could have Kai be a sheep."

"What?! No way!" the fire ninja argued. "Besides, then we would be missing a wise man."

"I'm not sure you count as "wise"." Nya pointed out.

"I do too."

"No, he's right. That we need a wise man, not that he's wise." the green ninja shook his head.

"Um. Thanks, I guess?"

"Ming, you wanna be a sheep?" the blond boy asked, looking up at the black-haired girl on the other side of the room.

"Sure." she shrugged.

"Right. So we have angels, Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus, sheep, a cow, and the shepherds. Are we missing anyone?"

"Don't think so." Cole said. "What are we gonna do about props, though?"

"If we're gonna be serious about this, yeah, we will need some decent props." Lloyd frowned at his paper again. "I guess we could go out and buy some. Or we could just cut up some cardboard."

"We'd need a lot of cardboard. Where would we get that much?"

"Hey, I know." Kai spoke up. "We could use a tornado of creation and whip up a stable in the backyard! Can't be that hard."

"I mean… I guess that would work." the green ninja shrugged. "All we'd need is some wood."

"Then where do we get the wood from?"

"Gee, I dunno. The forest?" Kai pointed out the window towards the dark forest behind the Monastery.

"I guess." Lloyd replied. "But don't we need to get permission from someone to cut down trees?"

"Nah." the fire ninja said with a grin. "We're the ninja."

"That still doesn't give us the right to break the law."

"We're not breaking a law."

"You don't know that."

"This is so stupid." Morro groaned, resting his forehead on his hand. "Just… we already have some wood. It's behind the Monastery."

"Oh. Really?" Kai asked in surprise. "I've never seen any."

"Which is surprising, since you live here."

That's when Cole spoke up. "Lloyd, remember how when you came and recruited all of us back on the team, I was working as a lumberjack?"

"Oh yeah! Cole, go and get the wood then."

"Alright." The earth ninja got on his elemental dragon, and flew to the Birchwood Forest.

NativityNuisance

Garmadon then walked into the room, pulling his son aside. "Lloyd, are you alright?"

"Yeah. I feel much better; my leg's fully healed now."

"I'm glad." Lloyd's father smiled, the two of them embracing each other tightly. "You've been through just so much, and I'm truly relieved. It's finally over, and now we're together again. I will always be here."

"I'm back!"

"Coming!" the Green Ninja called, pulling away.

"Go on, Son. I love you. Very, very much."

"Me too. Bye, Dad."

"Bye."

NativityNuisance

Minutes later, Cole came back with a load of wood. Lloyd entered, telling the students to step back.

"Fire!"

"Earth!"

"Ice!"

"Lightning!"

"Ninja, Go!" Kai, Jay, Zane, and Cole spun into a giant tornado, much to the awe of the students. When it faded, a small replica of a stable was in its place.

"All this for a… what, a video?" Indigo asked, tilting her head.

"Why not?" Lloyd shrugged, going over to inspect it. "Nya's Mary, and Jay's Joseph. And everyone else could be shepherds and angels. I'll be Gabriel."

"And I could be the narrator." Morro added.

"I ain't being a cow or camel or whatever, so I guess I'll be the filmer then…" Indigo said after that, seeing as there was nothing else to do.

"And I got a 4K video camera and a tripod, so we're good for equipment." Lloyd pointed to the equipment next to the Monastery.

"Are we ready to start, then?" Kai asked,

"Looks like it." the green ninja nodded. "Everyone, get your costumes on, then we can start rehearsing."

NativityNuisance

"In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that-"

"Baaaa." Morro stopped at the sound of Anna making sheep noises.

"Girls, be quiet, I'm trying to practice. In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree, that a census would be taken-"

"BAAAAAAA."

"Girls!" the ghost looked up from the paper he was reading to glare at them. "Shh! You're not even in this part!"  
"But I'm borrrreeeeedddddd." Anna complained.

"And my costume is so cute!" Ness squealed, twirling around.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing! I just like it!"

"...Aiyah..." Morro sighed, resting his forehead on his hand. "Can we just lock them in the hold of the Bounty until their part?"

"No. We'd get arrested by Child Protective Services." Misako replied without missing a beat.

"Okay then… Can we at least keep them quiet for the time being?"

"I can try. Girls, go play over there for a minute, will you?"

"OKAY!" they chimed in unison, walking away.

NativityNuisance

After nearly four painstaking hours of work, the filming and editing was finally finished. The actors all gathered into the entertainment center in the Monastery with everyone else, so they could see how they did.

"That was a nightmare…" Indigo muttered, flopping over on the couch.

"You didn't even have to act!" Jay shouted from the other end of the room. "It was worse for us!"  
"It was fun!" Anna chirped.

"Yeah!" Ness agreed.

"No it wasn't." Kai shook his head. "C'mon, let's get this over with." Stepping over to next to the TV, he turned it on, then connected the computer with the edited version on it.

"The Nativity Story: By the Students and Ninja" the title read.

"In those days," Morro began, "Caesar Augustus issued a decree, that a census would be taken of all the people in his empire."

Anna giggled. "This is gonna be fun…!"

* * *

 ***reads this***

 ***reads this again***

 **Something seems... wrong with this. I have a feeling this is missing something.**

 **Well, hope you enjoyed, nonetheless. Again, Merry Christmas!**

 **~FFF & Zena1421**


	34. Healing

**If this seems forced, it's because I had to literally force myself to write something. *dabs***

 **No review replies because there was nothing I really have to reply to (i.e. questions)**

 **except ANGEL GIVE THEM BACK RIGHT NOW HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WRITE FLUFF WITHOUT MY MAIN CHARACTERS**

 **This was a request by Angel Star Ninja. When in doubt, write fluff. :D**

* * *

"Ow!" Lloyd yelped, shying away from Morro as the ghost attempted to bandage his arm. "That hurts!"

"It'll hurt more if it gets infected." Morro replied quietly, not taking his eyes off the cuts on Lloyd's arm. The two had just escaped what was supposed to be an easy mission, something simple for Lloyd to do to get back into his normal duties. It had been two months since Lloyd's leg had been broken, and their sensei had finally decided he was well enough to fight again. There had been rumors of a small group of black market dealers setting up shop in the slums, and Lloyd's father had agreed to let him go on a "solo" mission, with Morro following but not stepping in unless necessary. Unfortunately, the group of thieves was far bigger than they had expected, and Lloyd was quickly overwhelmed. Morro had attacked as soon as he realized Lloyd was in danger, but he wasn't fast enough to keep Lloyd from sustaining a nasty knife wound in the arm. After blowing their enemies away, Morro had taken the bleeding green ninja and fled, since there was no time to fight them all with Lloyd bleeding out. He had taken him to a nearby alley, where he was now treating his wounds with the medical supplies Garmadon had insisted they bring just in case.

"That doesn't make this hurt any less…" Lloyd muttered stubbornly, pulling his arm away again with a gasp as the ghost pulled the bandages tight.

"Lloyd, hold still." Morro sighed. "I know it hurts, but you know if I don't bandage it it'll only get worse. So don't move. Okay?"

"Okay…" the blond boy bit his lip, watching as Morro wound the white cloth around his arm. After a minute, the ghost pulled the bandage too tight again, and Lloyd jerked away with a cry of pain.

"Lloyd-!" Without thinking, Morro grabbed the younger boy's forearm in an attempt to keep him still, but jerked away with a hiss of pain as Lloyd's blood evaporated on his skin. Lloyd's eyes went wide.

"S-sorry!" he stuttered. "I-I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's my fault." Morro shook his head, taking Lloyd's clean hand instead. "It was just a mistake. No big deal." Lloyd nodded, then was mostly silent for the next minute while Morro finished wrapping his arm. As the ghost fastened the end of the bandage in place, Lloyd spoke up timidly.

"Are you mad at me?"

"What?" the wind master looked up at him in surprise. "No, of course not. Why would I be?"

"I don't know, I just… you seem angry." The blond boy mumbled, staring at the ground and refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh, no, I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the people who hurt you, mostly, and a little at myself too."

"Why?"

"I let you get hurt." Lloyd opened his mouth to speak as Morro started cleaned the remaining blood off of his arm, but the ghost didn't give him a chance. "When I saw those men, I froze. I didn't attack them until it was too late. You'll be fine, this cut won't do any permanent damage, but you're still in pain. Hence me feeling bad."

"Morro-"

"It's nothing, Lloyd. It's you I'm worried about." The blond boy was silent for a few moments before saying,

"They startled me too. That's why I needed to be rescued in the first place. And it was probably a trap all along, since the rumors we heard said there'd be half the men we saw there. We fell for it, that's neither of our fault. It was just a mistake. No big deal." Morro smiled, lowering the cloth from Lloyd's arm.

"Alright, if you say so. Are you bleeding from anywhere else?"

"I don't think so."

"Good." Reaching over, Morro pulled the blond boy into his lap, hugging him tight. Lloyd snuggled into his grasp, unable to hug him back because of his injured arm but enjoying his embrace nonetheless.

"You're not mad at yourself anymore, are you?"

"No. Just glad you're safe." The ghost held him tight for another minute before letting go and repacking the medical supplies in his backpack. Once he was finished, he stood, lifting Lloyd with him as he said, "We should get back to the Monastery. Your parents are going to be worried."

"Yeah. I'm probably going to be stuck in bed for another week now."

"Maybe." Morro shrugged as wind swirled around him, lifting them both onto a rooftop where the ghost summoned his dragon and they flew off. "For now, just rest. Your body needs time to replenish the blood you lost."

"Mmm." Lloyd fell silent, leaning back against his chest. Before long, he was asleep, and the two were silent as they flew back towards the Monastery.

* * *

 **As one of my friends likes to say, "Hugs solve everything". I agree with her.**

 **~FFF**


	35. Memories

**I don't know**

 **why**

 **this was so hard to write**

 **screw you writer's block**

 **ninjachief: This is it! Sorry it took so long. I got a similar request and wanted to try to incorporate them. It was... harder than it looked.**

 **TheAmberShadow: Yay :D**

 **Angel Star Ninja: Um... a bit too late for that. Eheheheh...**

 **Samantha: Glad you like it :D**

 **Windy: Thank you! Sorry I haven't been emailing, my memory definitely isn't improving and might be getting worse. I forget. ^ ^' And I'm praying for you.**

* * *

Memories

"I give up!" Gin snapped, dropping her hands to her sides with a groan as the blocks she was supposed to be lifting clattered to the ground. "This is pointless! Why do I need to be able to lift _blocks_ with my _mind?!_ There's no point!"

"There is always a reason to hone your abilities." Sensei Garmadon replied quietly on the other side of the dojo, unfazed by her outburst. "Lifting blocks is not important, you are correct. This is just a start. When I first challenged Lloyd to do this, I was having him lift ten-ton boulders."

"Could he do it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm not Lloyd. He's a lot stronger than I am."

"Hence the half-pound wooden blocks." Gin sighed, reaching out and trying to lift the blocks again. On the other side of the room, Garmadon closed his eyes again, still except for his rising and falling chest as he meditated. The brown haired girl strained to lift the blocks for a moment longer before sighing and letting go again.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Garmadon opened his eyes, meeting hers from across the room.

"I had… a kinda weird dream last night." Gin stared at the floor, twisting a strand of her hair between her fingers.

"Oh?"

"Well… it went like this: there was a woman who had powers like I do. And, there was some bad guy trying to take them. So she went to a friend and transferred her powers into her friend's daughter. Then the friend banished the daughter to the Cursed Realm. But, before she did, she said something. 'Anata wa watashi no gin no kibōdesu.'"

"That translates to 'you are my silver hope'." Garmadon cut in.

"Oh. Anyway, I think it was something real. Something that happened to me. 'Cause that's my name, Gin Nozomi, Silver Hope. And, I mean… it makes sense. I grew up in the Cursed Realm, I never knew where I came from. If that's real…" Garmadon was silent for a few moments.

"Then what?"

"I don't know. I just… it would be so great to know where I came from." Her adopted father crossed the room towards her, sitting down next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We may never know for certain where you came from."

"Probably not." Gin shook her head. "But that dream… it just seemed so real."

"Maybe it was." Garmadon agreed. "And until we have reason to believe otherwise, we might as well believe it."

"Makes sense."

"And as for your training…" her adopted father took her arm, lifting it in the direction of the blocks. "I'll tell you what I told Lloyd: the key is balance."

"…I'm sitting on the floor."

"Not that kind of balance. Focus your thoughts. Center your mind. Balance yourself. Try again."

"Nya says I shouldn't try too hard."

"She is right. Focus, but relax. A rigid mind will get you nowhere."

"'Rigid'?"

"Just lift the blocks."

"Okay." Closing her eyes, Gin let out a breath before focusing on the blocks a few feet away. After a moment, her father clapped his hands together.

"You're doing it! Look!" the brunette opened her eyes to see the clocks floating in midair. She gasped, and they clattered to the ground.

"Woo!" she exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air. "I did it!"

"Yes you did." Garmadon replied with a smile. "Come on, let's go outside so we can do some target practice."

Memories

"Hyah!" Gin flung a ball of silver power at the target on the Monastery's back lawn… and missed by four or five feet. "Uh… what happened?"

"Your new powers are going to take some getting used to." Her father explained. "They are, though mostly the same, much higher energy than your old powers. That means they will move faster and hit harder, which means you'll have to adjust your aim."

"Okay." the brunette charged another orb, and, carefully this time, threw it at the target twenty feet away. It nicked the edge, still not hitting it head on. "Better than last time, at least." She started to charge another ball, but sighed and let it vanish.

"What is it?" Garmadon asked.

"I just… wonder what my parents were like." She said after a moment. "I mean, my birth parents. You and Mom are the best parents I could ever ask for, but… you can't blame me for being curious, can you?"

"I can't, and I don't." her father shook his head. "Perhaps someday we will know everything about your past. Perhaps not. For now, we can only hope."

"Yeah." Gin charged another ball, then threw it. Miss. "Hey Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for helping me with my training."

"Of course." Garmadon smiled. "It is the sort of thing a father should do for his daughter, is it not?"

"I mean… I'm a ninja. So it's hard to say." Gin shrugged. "But, yeah, something like that. Still, thanks."

"You're welcome." Her adopted father wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Try one more time, okay?" Gin nodded, turning back to the target and winding up again. Before she shot, Garmadon stopped her, adjusting her aim to the right. Then she threw it. A perfect shot. She turned to her father, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged. "I had quite the aim when I was younger."

"I see. I'm gonna go show Lloyd." Turning, Gin ran back towards the Monastery. Garmadon smiled after her proudly. He was so proud of his children. Both of them.

* * *

 **Again, I have no idea why this was so hard to write compared to, like, angst/fluff. I guess I'm just not used to it.**

 **Well, hope you enjoyed this, despite it being kind of... idk. Off.**

 **~FFF**


	36. Alive

**it's been so long**

 **Review replies:**

 **Samantha: I made a post for that because the person who requested it sent the same thing twice, and I wanted them to know that I heard it.**

 **Guest: hECK I forgot about it when you sent your most recent message thank you for reminding me**

 **KRR: Hey ;P**

 **This is a lot like one of the chapters I'm going to write for Despair, which I think is why I forgot to write it. Got distracted by Despair. :p**

* * *

 _"Goodbye, Sensei…" Morro thrust the Realm Crystal into his old teacher's hand, letting go of his last handhold and letting himself be dragged into the sea. The last thing he felt was agonizing pain, then there was nothing._

 _But… he was alive?_

The first thing he heard was breathing. Slow, peaceful breathing. After a few minutes he realized it was his own. Slowly, the ghost opened his eyes, registering the pale-green stone underneath him. The Cursed Realm? Startled, he sat up straight, looking around him in shock. How did this place still exist? The Preeminent was the heart of the Cursed Realm, without her…

…maybe she wasn't dead yet? Maybe the Realm would vanish, any second now. He waited for a few moments. Everything was still here. Slowly, he got to his feet. If he wasn't dead, then… what was he going to do now? There was no way he could attempt another attack on Ninjago, and, frankly, he didn't want to. There was no way the other ghosts would help him, not after his first defeat, and he didn't think he had the heart to try again even if they would. Slowly, he turned towards the exit of the tunnel and began to walk.

Alive

Morro stood on the edge of the bridge connecting the two sides of the abyss outside the mountain, staring out at the Cursed Realm. Cold, dark, but familiar. He had been here for more than twenty years. He almost preferred it to Ninjago at this point. The ghost glanced down at the pitch-black expanse below him, wondering what it would be like to jump in and never come out.

Probably pretty boring.

Slowly, Morro crossed the bridge and began to head down the stairway. He needed a goal. He needed something to focus on. His plan to escape and become the green ninja had kept him sane for all those years. He need something, or he would go mad. Looking up, the ghost's eyes fixed on a mountain halfway across the Realm. There. He would climb to the top of that mountain, then try to figure out what to do with the rest of his eternal afterlife.

Alive

It took Morro three days to cross the Cursed Realm. He walked for two days and two nights without rest, staying far off the beaten path so he wouldn't cross paths with any other ghosts, before collapsing mid-step as the sun rose on the third day. He only managed to sleep for a couple hours before waking again and proceeding on his way. When he reached the bottom of the mountain, he decided to stop and rest, as he'd rather not fall asleep on the stairs up and topple off the mountain.

It took him a long time to go to sleep. He hadn't eaten in days, and his stomach was starting to bother him. It didn't matter. He couldn't really starve to death, but the hunger pangs would bother him for a while. He didn't dare show his face to the other ghosts, they would most likely just lock him up. The ghosts here were ruthless, and they would show no mercy to someone who had failed them like he had. He would just have to go hungry, probably forever.

On the fourth day, he began the climb up the mountain. Like the last one, this also had a convenient flight of stairs, probably chiseled into the side hundreds of years ago. As he climbed, he noted the miles and miles he could see for. It sure was high up here. If he jumped and just glided for a while, how far could he go? Halfway across the Cursed Realm, at least.

He stopped in a little alcove halfway up to rest. If not for the cold feeling of hopelessness filling his corrupted soul, he might actually enjoy himself. It had been a long time since he had had a chance to do literally anything he wanted. He was always restricted by rules, or deadlines, or just… he was the general. He couldn't just run off and climb a mountain. He had responsibilities.

After a short nap, he started on his way again. The despair in his heart had faded significantly since he had gotten a good night's sleep, and he didn't feel so much self-loathing now. He wasn't just trudging mindlessly along, either. He was seeing the sun, and the clouds, and the little plants that grew up through the cracks in the rock. He felt almost… happy.

"Almost" being the key word here.

At midnight, he reached the end of the trail. At the top was a small cave, where there was nothing of use inside of, and a small flat area outside. The ghost boy decided to spend the night outside. As he stared up at the sky, trying to spot the stars through the green mist, he wondered again what to do next. He was trapped here, and he didn't dare show himself to the other ghosts. His life was over.

If only he could die, so it could be over for good.

Alive

A loud crash jerked Morro out of his slumber, and his head snapped up as he scrambled into a defensive stance. After a few moments of silence, he blinked blearily, rubbing his eyes as he relaxed his stance, looking around. Nothing out of the ordinary. Probably a rockslide or something. Except… was that _light_ coming from inside the cave? That wasn't there before. Slowly, he stepped into the cave, cautiously moving down the tunnel towards the light. Looks like there had been a rockslide, alright. When he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Hovering in the air in front of him, just inside the opposite wall, was a large, swirling portal.

* * *

 **if only I could shake this accursed writer's block (read: laziness)**

 **~FFF**


	37. The Boy in the Cape

**So I was procrastinating all day and therefore have no time so no review replies ;-; but here's a oneshot**

* * *

The Boy in the Cape

"Where is Lloydy…" Tori muttered under her breath, drumming her fingers on the table. "Lea left a whole thirty seconds ago…" The chef had delivered her food early, so she sent Lea to get Lloyd while she started to eat. Unfortunately, the waiting was unbearable. As she stared at the door across the room, her thoughts began to wander – to Lloyd. She remembered the first time they had met again, for the first time in years. He looked happy to see her, at least at first. It wasn't her fault she had to drop him. Why didn't he trust her after that? They were such good friends when they were kids…

 _"Um… hi." The blond boy on the steps outside scuffed his feet awkwardly on the doormat. "M-my name's Lloyd Garmadon. Can I stay here tonight?"_

 _"Of course you can, sweety." Tori's mom, a short, thin, friendly woman, ushered the little boy into the warm house before turning back to the stove to keep their dinner from burning. "What are you doing out here all alone?" The blond woman asked as Tori crept into the room to get a closer look._

 _"I… I was in a boarding school nearby, but I kept failing my classes and they kicked me out." He replied as he glanced around the house. "I don't know where my parents are." Tori's mom tsked._

 _"Why kind of parents would abandon their son like that?" She muttered, stirring the bland concoction of rice and beans angrily. "Find a place to sit down, honey, you must be tired."_

 _"Yeah." Lloyd nodded and wandered over to a chair, sitting down and tucking his cape around himself. A cape? Tori crept up behind him, her stockinged feet silent on the wooden floor, then tugged on the hem of his cape._

 _"What's this?" she asked as he yelped and spun around._

 _"Th-that's my cape." He stuttered, once he realized she was just a little girl._

 _"Why do you have a cape?" Tori frowned, lifting it up to look underneath it._

 _"Hey, stop it!" Lloyd snatched it back. Tori 'aww'ed before remembering to introduce herself._

 _"I'm Vi'toria." She held out her hand towards him. "But people call me Tori."_

 _"Victoria?" the boy accepted her hand, shaking it. "I'm Lloyd. Lloyd Garmadon."_

 _"I know, I heard you. How long are you gonna stay here?" She asked without even pausing for breath._

 _"Uh…" Lloyd glanced at her mom._

 _"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, m'dear." Mom said cheerfully._

 _"I dunno," Lloyd turned back to her. "Maybe a week."_

 _"Aw. My parents could adopt you!" Tori suggested._

 _"But I still have parents! I just need to find them!" The little boy stuck out his lip in a pout._

 _"Okay, fine." Tori didn't like being an only child. The other kids in the village said she was weird 'cause of her powers and wouldn't play with her, so she had to play all by herself. It would be so cool to have a little brother. Oh well. She could have one for at least a week._

That was before she had heared to take matters into her own hands, to refuse to follow the way of the world and to take charge of her own destiny. In fact, it was Lloyd who taught her that.

 _"What are you going to do after you leave?" Tori asked, standing on her tiptoes to put a block on the tip of the swaying tower. She and Lloyd were building the most EPIC and AMAZING tower EVER! It was taller than they were!_

 _"I'm gonna find my parents." The little boy replied, dragging a chair over and clambering onto it to place another block._

 _"But what if you can't find them?" She asked, reaching another block up so he could take it._

 _"Then I'll take over the world!" Lloyd accidently slammed the block on the top of the tower with too much force, and the tower toppled to the ground. "Oops." Tori laughed._

 _"That's silly. But what are you really gonna do?"_

 _"That is really what I'll do." Lloyd jumped down and started to stack blocks again. "Take over the world."_

 _"But you can't do that! You're just a kid!" Tori frowned, plopping down next to him._

 _"Who cares? My dad is_ Lord _Garmadon, and he's the baddest bad guy in the world!" Lloyd threw his hands up in the air to illustrate. "I'm his son, I know I can do it!"_

 _"Really?" Tori's eyes widened. "That's so cool! Hey, can I be your queen?"_

 _"Sure!" Lloyd readily agreed. "You can help me control the peasants when they step out of line!"_

 _"Aye aye, your majesty!" Tori saluted, a grin spreading over his face. Maybe Lloyd was right, maybe he_ could _do it. And if he could, why couldn't she? The other kids who always mocked her, she could beat them. She had never dared to try before, but, with her powers, she could do it! And then she could help Lloyd take over the world!_

After Lloyd left, things escalated quickly. Tori challenged each bully in the village to a fight, and won. That put her in charge. When she was a little older, she challenged the leader if the of the village, and beat him too, taking control of the whole village. Her parents told her that she couldn't just use force to get what she wanted. She had them thrown in jail. Someone called in authorities from the city, who tried to capture her, so she fled to the city. It was a busy place, hard for a girl like her to start over in. Well, a girl without powers. She had only been there a week when she defeated a mob boss and took over his operation, selling forbidden magic teas at high prices. Her business thrived for a year – then she was caught and locked up. When she escaped a few months later, she saw Lloyd again, but from afar. On TV. The little boy in a cape had become the Green Ninja, protector of innocents and defeater of evil. She missed the boy he used to be. He was such a goody-two-shoes now.

"Tori!" A shout snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see Lloyd running towards her.

"Lloydy!" She smiled, but it faded when she saw the look of panic on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Lea… Lea hit me…" the blond boy gasped, stopping by the table as she rose to her feet.

"I told her to _get_ you, not attack you…" she muttered, scowling. How dare her idiot lackey do such a moronic thing. Pushing Lloyd into a chair, the blond girl marveled at the fact that he had come to her for help. He did trust her, at least a little. Maybe the little boy in the cape wasn't completely gone after all.

* * *

 **This really is all Lloyd's fault :^)**

 **~FFF**


	38. Home?

**Nevermind. I'm updating again tonight.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Windy: Yep, Lloyd remembers this. If you read chapter 29 of Return of the Overlord again, he remembers her clearly when he first meets her, and is shocked and disappointed to hear she turned evil. He forgot all about her as soon as he moved in with the ninja.**

 **Kat: Yep. I should write one where Lloyd has a nightmare about Morro, I haven't done that but that would be cool and angsty... :3**

 **Guest: here ya go!**

* * *

Home?

Morro hid behind a short wall in an alleyway, holding his breath and hunching his shoulders as he waited for the footsteps to pass by his hiding spot.

"Where'd it go?" Once voice called, mere feet from where he was pressed against the wall.

"I think it went that way." Much to his relief, the footsteps retreated, and he allowed himself to take a breath. Maybe coming back here hadn't been worth it.

In the week since he had returned to Ninjago, Morro had gotten himself in a lot of trouble very quickly. He had tried to scavenge for food in an area run by a powerful gang, who had made it their top priority to get rid of him as fast as possible. They knew his weakness, water, and brought it with them wherever they went in case he appeared. They had caught him by surprise twice so far, and he had only narrowly made it out in both instances.

He didn't know if being here was worth it. In the Cursed Realm, he had been disgraced, but at least he wasn't hunted wherever he went. There was nothing left for him there, but… was there anything for him here, either?

Finally, once he was absolutely sure they were gone, the ghost shakily stood up, running in the opposite direction they had gone. He had to get out of the area. He couldn't live under this gang. He had to find someplace else.

Home?

Morro wandered down the narrow alley, one hand resting on his empty stomach. He was hungry. It had been a couple days since he had last managed to find a meal, due to the gang's harassment, and there hadn't been anything good in this new area so far. On top of that, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Suddenly, he smelled hot food – he must be nearing the main part of the city, but he was too hungry to care. Letting go of his stomach, he followed the smell, hugging the sides of the buildings and sticking to the shadows as he neared the back of a restaurant. A fast-food restaurant, he could tell by the greasy smell. It didn't matter if it was healthy, he was already dead.

After checking to make sure no one was nearby, the ghost boy bolted towards the wide dumpster against the restaurant's wall, stopping next to it and pushing the top open. About half of it was papers and wrappers, but the other half was food, most of it perfectly good. Mouth watering – figuratively – Morro grabbed a paper bag and began stuffing as much food as he could inside, fried potato sticks, sandwiches, anything that was still good.

"Hey, you!" Morro's head snapped up at the shout, and he jumped back from the dumpster at the sight of a man running towards him. Instantly, the ghost dashed back into the safety of the alleys with his bag of food clutched tightly in one hand, sending a gust of wind back at the man that knocked him to the ground.

Running faster, Morro spotted a run-down building and jumped towards a high window, using his powers to boost himself up and through it – his bag of food couldn't go through walls. Panting, he sank down against as wall and opened his bag, taking out a sandwich and starting to eat. He forced himself not to eat _too_ fast, since that wouldn't be food for him, but it was hard. He was so hungry.

"Miow." The ghost stopped mid-bite at the unexpected sound, looking up to see a small, emancipated stray cat carefully stepping into the room. It must've smelled his food. Morro pulled the paper bag closer as the cat approached, the small creature's eyes locking on the sandwich in his hands. "Miow?" It seemed to be weighing its options. Morro started to pull his bag closer again, but stopped as his gaze swept over the cat once more, noting its ribs showing through its skin. It looked as hungry as he was.

Morro liked cats. When he was young, and had to sleep in the cold on the streets, sometimes cats would come and huddle with him. Share his warmth. After a moment, he broke off a piece of the meat on his sandwich, tossing it to the cat.

"Here you go, kitty." He muttered before starting to eat again. The beast gobbled it up in an instant, taking a step forward and eying the rest of his sandwich hungrily. The ghost sighed. This was his own fault. Well, he couldn't eat all this food anyway, and he could always get more at the restaurant, so... Digging in the bag, Morro pulled out another sandwich, taking the meat and tossing it onto the ground in front of him, watching the cat make short work of it.

The cat and the ghost shared the rest of the food, Morro eating the salads and potato sticks while the cat ate the meat. Once the food was gone, the cat sniffed around him and the bag for a few moments, making sure there was nothing left, before rubbing its head against his hand and then trotting out of the room. Morro smiled a little. It seemed like life had gotten better since this morning. He no longer had a gang trying to kill him, he had a steady source of food, and he had helped someone – even if that someone was just a starving cat.

* * *

 **He really is a sweetheart**

 **~FFF**


	39. what do I call this idek

**I hope this doesn't have a million errors or anything bc I'm getting kicked off in a minute and can't proofread it but here ya go**

 **Requested by Windy!**

* * *

Lloyd stormed down the dark hallway, hot tears streaming down his face as he stomped into the deepest corner of the base. It's not fair. Morro never did anything wrong. Not to this Lloyd. Anything could be happening out there, and he couldn't… he couldn't help him… Lloyd choked back a sob as he sunk to the ground, shaking knees too weak to hold his weight. His tears came faster as he pressed his back against the wall, burying his face in his hands as he tried to hold back his sobs.

"Lloyd?" The unexpected voice made him jump, looking up in surprise to see Kai standing a few feet down the hallway. He'd come after him? The gesture of concern made tears spring to his eyes again and he covered his eyes with his hands, shoulders shaking with sobs. "Hey… it's okay." He heard footsteps, then Kai's warm hand rested on his shoulder. Lloyd shook his head.

"It's n-not okay… M-Morro…"

"Shh…" Kai sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, nestling him into his side. "Morro's gonna be fine okay?"

"B-but he-"

"Shh." The fire ninja stroked his hair, letting his hand rest on the back of Lloyd's neck. Sniffling, the green ninja turned and buried his face in the older boy's shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck. Kai hugged him back, rocking him back and forth as he sobbed into his shoulder. He didn't mean to break down, didn't mean to start crying so easily, it was just… he couldn't bear to think of Morro imprisoned like that. Like when the Overlord imprisoned him. It took about five minutes for him to calm down enough to speak, and even then he just lay in Kai's arms for a while. Finally, he whispered,

"It's n-not Morro's f-fault."

"I know."

"Th-the other Lloyd says he d-deserves to b-be there, b-but he doesn't, he's g-gonna get hurt…" Lloyd let out another sob, starting to shake again.

"Shh, calm down…" The red ninja stroked his back. "Morro's gonna be fine, okay?"

"H-how can you kn-know?"

"Morro's strong. He can take care of himself. And Indigo." Oh yeah. He had kind of forgotten about her.

"B-but… the other M-Morro's s-strong too…" Lloyd whispered, trembling. "W-what if he…"

"Morro won't let him. In fact, he's probably already escaped by now."

"R-really?"

"Really." Lloyd was silent for a few moments before his eyes widened and he whispered,

"B-but he w-won't leave without I-Indigo… what if the b-bad Morro is u-using her to k-keep him from e-escaping like T-Tori d-did?"

"Then… he'll break her out."

"B-but what if he can't?!"

"Don't you think he can?"

"I-I don't know…" Lloyd sniffled. "W-what if th-the other Morro h-hurts him t-too much that he c-can't escape? W-what if he t-tries to escape b-but j-just gets caught a-again? W-what if-"

"What if there are no more what-ifs?" Kai cut him off, stroking his hair. "Stop trying to imagine all the worst things that could happen to him. Why would the other Morro even hurt him? He'll probably just stash him and Indigo in the dungeon and forget about them."

"Y-you think so?"

"Yeah."

"W-when the Overlord c-captured me, d-did you assume h-he would l-leave m-me be and n-not help me?"

"…no."

"M-maybe the Overlord w-would just l-lock me up, b-but you c-couldn't take that ch-chance! W-why can't you do the s-same for Morro?!"

"I…" Kai sighed. "You're right. It's not fair to assume he'll be fine and just leave him there." Tears began to well up in Lloyd's eyes again as the red ninja kept talking. "But we can't go after him without the others' help. We couldn't beat them all together, much less just one or two of us."

"B-but even if w-we did get captured, a-at least then M-Morro w-wouldn't be al-lone…" Abruptly, Kai grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him away, holding him a foot away from him.

"Lloyd, don't even think about it." He ordered, sounding almost angry. "Do not even try to run away, especially not with the sole intent of getting locked up. This world's Morro will do to you what he did to this Lloyd, and worse. That won't help Morro in the least." The blond boy sniffled, wiping the tears off his face with the back of his hand.

"I-I guess…" The brunette pulled him close again and Lloyd buried his face in his chest, starting to cry again. "Th-the other m-me s-says we're not g-gonna g-get him b-back! Not e-ever!" His voice rose, growing more and more high-pitched. "H-he'll b-be s-s-stuck there f-forever!" Kai didn't answer, just tightened his arms around him and rested his chin on his head.

"Lloyd?" Lloyd jumped again at the familiar voice, looking up from Kai's lap to see the other Lloyd standing in the hallway. "I'm… sorry I judged Morro too harshly. I know he's not a bad guy." Really? "I know he's not a bad guy. We will rescue him, but only once we know Dyana is safe. Okay?" Lloyd sniffled, but nodded slightly.

"Th-thank you…" he whispered. The other him nodded in reply, then quickly left the hallway. Lloyd buried his face in Kai's chest again, sniffling softly. That had calmed him down significantly, just knowing that they would at least go after him eventually. That he wouldn't be stuck there forever. That they would save him.

"Feeling better?" The red ninja asked softly. Lloyd nodded.

"Y-yeah… th-thanks for c-coming a-after m-me…"

"No problem." Kai stroked his hair again and the blond boy closed his eyes, resting the side of his head on the brunette's shoulder and staring at the wall as he slowed his breathing.

"'s it okay if I g-got to sleep here?" he murmured. Kai chuckled softly.

"Yep, that's fine." Lloyd smiled, then squirmed into his lap, laying his head against the red ninja's collarbone and closing his eyes as Kai tucked him into his arms. Exhausted from all that crying, the blond boy soon drifted off and fell victim to sleep.

* * *

 **#save him**

 **~FFF**


	40. Moment

**So fanfiction is having a problem sending out notifications apparently... so...**

 **Review replies:**

 **ninjachief: Does Lloyd need a break? Yes. Will he get one? No.**

 **Ninjagomlp: *drop-kicks greenflame into jupiter* yeah me neither**

 **Amber: :)**

 **Windy: That chapter kinda focused more on Garmadon's reaction, looking back, but Kai was upset too. And kinda exasperated. xD**

 **Samantha: :)**

 **Chantelle: yeah haha "hurt him" that's ridiculous**

* * *

Moment

Instead of happy chirps and tweets, a loud, strangled squawk was what woke Sensei Garmadon this morning.

The grey-haired man pried his tired eyes open, blinking in the dim light for a moment before rolling onto his side to look at the clock. 5:49. Too early. Still, it was probably a good idea to find out what made that ungodly noise that woke him up. Slowly, Garmadon sat up, stretching his arms over his head as he swung his legs over the side. Taking his robe from his nightstand, he eased out of bed, hoping the aging floorboards wouldn't creak and wake Misako, who was still fast asleep. Fortunately, the floor stayed quiet, and he slipped his robe on as he moved over to the window.

There, on the ground outside, was Indigo's cat, Knifefoots or something, feasting on the carcass of an unfortunate songbird that had flown too late from the predator's grasp. Poor creature. Turning back to his bed, the elderly man took a step, wincing as the boards protested loudly under his weight. On the bed, his wife shifted, then opened her eyes, rolling over to face him.

"Garmadon?" She murmured, glancing at the clock. "What are you doing up this early?"

"Good morning, my dear." He crossed the remaining distance between them before sitting on the edge of the bed. "The cat killed something right outside our window, rather noisily. I went to see what had happened."

"Mmm." Misako pushed herself up, leaning forward to look past him at the window. "Well, as long as we're up, how about we watch the sunrise?"

"Sounds good to me. From here or outside?"

"Outside. As long as we're doing it, we may as well get the best view."

"Speaking of view, we'll be able to see it best from the roof."

"Are you serious?"

"Why not?"

"Let's do it." Misako swung her feet over the side of the bed, pushing the covers back before standing up. "Is it chilly outside?"

"Probably."

"Let's bring a blanket, then." The former archeologist pulled a fleecy blanket off their bed, folding it up before hugging it to her chest. "Come on."

"Ladies first." Garmadon stepped over to their bedroom door and opened it, waving her through. His wife snatched her glasses off her bedside table before complying, heading through the doorway before stopping and waiting for him to follow. The couple headed up two flights of stairs, then opened a window at the end of a hall and climbed out onto the slick roof. Misako shivered as a cool breeze blew past them. Her nightgown wasn't very thick. Sitting down facing the glowing horizon, Garmadon beckoned her down next to him, then wrapped the blanket around both of them. His wife sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a sunrise."

"Same here. I didn't even see the sky for almost a year."

"There's not much to see in the Cursed Realm, is there?"

"Not much at all." He confirmed. The two were quiet for a few minutes, waltching as the sun crept ever closer towards the faraway horizon.

"Garmadon?" Misako said at last.

"Hmm?"

"I have to talk to you about something." From the sound of her tone, something serious.

"Can it wait? I don't want to ruin this moment."

"No, I've been waiting for a moment such as this to say it." Garmadon was silent, waiting for her to continue. "You remember Wu's letter – the one you sent to me with your name on it?" Her husband lowered his head slightly in shame.

"Of course. It never stopped haunting me in the fifty years since I did it."

"You'll recall that when you tried to explain it to me, I said that the letter was the reason I married you?"

"Yes." What was she getting at?

"I lied."

"What?"

"That wasn't the reason I married you. It certainly helped, but it was so much more than just that silly letter."

"Like what? I don't recall having many good qualities back then…"

"Well, there's your charm, for one." She wrapped her arm around his back. "You're a hopeless romantic. And, even back them, you were a gentleman. And you're the most handsome man I've ever laid eyes on."

"Are you talking about the younger me, or me now?"

"Both." She kissed his cheek before continuing. "Wu never had the same appeal. He was sweet, but he was always nervous, always tried too hard to gain my approval. You were confident. Easygoing."

"Ah, so you did fall for my ruse." When she looked up at him in confusion, he explained. "I wasn't confident around you, not in the least. I was far more nervous than my brother." Misako raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is news to me."

"Like I said my ruse worked." He grinned, then kissed her forehead.

"You liar." She elbowed him playfully.

"Ouch. I surrender." He tucked the blanket tighter around them. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, painting the sky pink and gold. "What a lovely morning."

"Indeed." Misako rested her head on his shoulder again. Abruptly, another loud squawk made them both jump, then they watched as an injured bird flew up into view before falling again, flapping its wings frantically as it plummeted to its doom.

"That cat has been busy this morning." Garmadon remarked.

"So he has. Or is it a she?"

"I think it's a he."

"Mmm."

"Anything else you wanted to say?"

"Like what?"

"Like any more attributes of mine that you find insanely attractive?"

"Well, for one, you're not _very_ vain."

"Touché."

"Though it's probably not a good idea to feed your ego, I do have a few more."

"Do tell?"

"First of all, you're sweet. And loyal. And you're a wonderful father."

"Am I?"

"Of course you are. Lloyd adores you. And so do the other ninja, for that matter."

"Mom? Dad?" A younger voice called from below, and the couple leaned forward to see Lloyd standing in the yard below them.

"Speak of the devil." Misako remarked.

"Good morning, Lloyd." Garmadon called down to him.

"Why are you on the roof?" Their son yelled up, putting his hands on his hips.

"We're watching the sunrise! Want to join us?" Misako asked.

"Nah. I have to find Jay. He stole Kai's shampoo and ran off, Kai sent me to chase him down."

"Well, have fun with that, then." Garmadon leaned back, tucking the blanket around him and his wife tighter again.

"The daffodils are blooming." Misako pointed to the patch of yellow flowers at the base of one of the trees.

"So they are." Her husband acknowledged. "You should pick some for the table later."

"I will." A pause. "Speaking of the table, we should go find breakfast. I'm hungry."

"So am I. But let's watch the sunrise a little longer." The sun was completely above the horizon now, the morning rays of golden light sparkling on the dew in the grass and flowers. "There really is such a nice view from up here."

"Indeed there is." The couple sat on the roof for a few minutes more, leaning on each other with the blanket wrapped around them as they listened to the birds and stared at the sky. Finally, the sound of Misako's stomach growling loudly broke the relative silence, eliciting an awkward chuckle from both of them.

"Alright, now let's go inside." Garmadon stood up, offering his wife a hand and helping her to her feet. Taking the blanket, they climbed back through the window, heading down the hallway towards the stairs that lead back down to the second floor.

"Should we get dressed?" Misako asked as they began to descend said stairs.

"I don't see why. It's our house, I don't think anyone will mind if we come to breakfast in our bedclothes."

"True." The couple hurried down to the ground floor before making their way to the kitchen, where they acquired some eggs and toast and made their way to the dining room to eat them. As they ate, Garmadon couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to his few minutes alone with Misako on the roof, the sun making her silver hair shine like gold. His day-to-day life was so hectic (living with around fifteen other people was never very quiet) that he almost never got to be alone with her like that. This morning, though… he lived for moments like this.

* * *

 **I love writing about mushy old people**

 **~FFF**


	41. --

**I actually don't have a title for this haha oh well**

 **Review replies:**

 **ninjachief: The hageman bros completely butchered their relationship. They should let me write the show. :)**

 **Amber: they should let me write the show**

 **Samantha: maybe because a couple of mushy old people are sitting on rooftops acting like lovesick teenagers? lol**

 **okay so not only are notifications down but I think it's like finals week or something so no one's online much rip**

 **Enjoy this old request by Angel Star Ninja :3**

* * *

The feeling of a ghostly hand passing through his flesh was all it took to startle Lloyd awake.

He blinked his eyes open to a flash of glowing green, instinctively rolling to the side to dodge whatever was touching him. Before he knew it, he was falling, and he hit the floor next to his bed with a thud. Struggling to sit up, Lloyd looked around in shock to see two ghosts standing in his room, neither one a friend. Soul Archer and Wrayth.

"H-how did you get here?!" the blond boy demanded. "We trapped you!"

"There is more than one way to escape a Realm." Soul Archer hissed, stepping closer. Lloyd scrambled back until he hit the wall, then lifted a hand and summoned and orb of energy.

"S-stay back!" He yelled, holding up the light. "Or I'll kill you!" Suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist and yanked it back, snapping a cuff onto it. The blond gasped as his energy vanished. Vengestone. Hands grabbed his arms and hauled him to his feet, and he looked over his shoulder to see Ghoultar phasing through the wall behind him. His other wrist was chained to the first and he was shoved forward, causing him to stumble. "Why are you doing this?!" The green ninja shouted.

"You are the most valuable member of the ninja team." Soul Archer replied. "They will surrender if I take you prisoner."

"Uh, no? The Overlord tried that trick just last month." Lloyd struggled, but there was no way these chains were coming off.

"He didn't torture you enough." The ghost replied calmly. "Now shut up, or I'll gag you." The blond boy was silent for a few moments, then screamed,

"HEEEEEELP!" Something hit him hard in the head, and he fell to his knees with a grunt of pain.

"…ot the gag." He heard through the ringing in his ears. "I have something better. Unchain him." Huh? The chains slid off his wrists and he looked up in confusion to see Soul Archer reaching towards him again. Before he could move to fight back, he was possessed.

"HEEEEELP!" Morro was jerked from his sleep by a scream, sitting up quickly as he shook himself awake. What was that? Another scream followed, and the ghost was out of bed in an instant. He knew that scream. Lloyd. Morro hurried towards the green ninja's room, heading straight through the walls as a shortcut. He arrived in the room just in time to see Lloyd's silhouette vanishing from the window.

"Lloyd!" He yelled after him, running over and looking down. On the ground was Lloyd – but he wasn't himself. His hair was darker, brown, and a green mist hovered around his body. He had been possessed. But by who? Ghoultar and Wrayth stood on either side of him, so it wasn't either of them. Probably Soul Archer. But why? And how, they were supposed to be trapped! Whatever the case, he had to rescue Lloyd. Soul Archer was no match for him, even in Lloyd's body and with two henchmen. Besides, the green ninja was undoubtedly fighting him. Morro jumped out the window, propelling himself in front of the three with a gust of wind before landing on his feet.

"Morro." 'Lloyd' said in a disdainful voice. Whoever was possessing him was using his voice, Morro couldn't tell who it was.

"Let Lloyd go." The wind master ordered, straightening up. "This is your only warning."

"Oh really? You're outnumbered. I have the upper hand." 'Lloyd''s voice was slowly changing, getting deeper.

"You really think you can beat me? The master of wind?" Morro grinned, putting up a pretense of carelessness. "I've beaten the green ninja and the ninja, what makes you think you're a threat? None of you are elemental masters, and you- whoever you are – have no idea how to use Lloyd's powers."

"Don't I?" The possessed ninja raised his hand and an orb of light appeared, but it only lasted for a split second before 'Lloyd' doubled over with a hiss.

"Ha." The wind master sent a gentle gust of wind at Lloyd, just enough to knock him down. He didn't want to hurt him. As the possessed ninja struggled upright again, Ghoultar and Wrayth charged towards him. When he got into range, Morro snatched the scythe master's weapon and used it to deflect Wrayth's blade before swinging it through them both and making them vanish. The scythe disappeared and Morro turned back to 'Lloyd', who was standing upright again. "You're the one outnumbered now."

"Am I?"

"Yes. Lloyd and me against you." His voice had completely changed now, it was definitely Soul Archer.

"Ah, but the brat is mine now, remember? And you don't dare hurt him, while I have no regrets about hurting you." Soul Archer drew his bow and fired, his arrow screaming through the air in the short distance between them. Fortunately, all it took was a blast of wind to send it faltering to the ground.

"Like I said, you're no match for me." Morro smirked, stepping closer. "Now let Lloyd go and I'll let you leave. You can't escape me."

"Maybe not, but I can still beat you." The possessed ninja began to walk towards him and the ghost stepped back in confusion. What was he doing? Drawing his fist back, the possessed ninja punched him in the stomach, making him stumble backwards with a gasp. Soul Archer hit him again and he tumbled to the ground. Throwing up his hands to defend himself, Morro pushed his attacker away with a gust of wind, but he just came back.

The wind master blocked his strikes, threw him back, and just ran back and forth to avoid him, but he didn't stop coming. Morro couldn't block all his attacks, he was getting more hurt by the minute. If he kept this up, he would have to flee. He didn't dare go for help, Soul Archer would get away on Lloyd's dragon. He just had to keep fighting. And by 'fighting' he meant dodging. Finally, he ducked under one of Soul Archer's punches and came up behind him, wrapping one arm around his neck and hooking the other through his arms, holding them behind his back.

"Let. Lloyd. Go." The ghost growled as 'Lloyd' struggled.

"Never." Archer hissed. "You will tire long before I do. You're injured."

"You underestimate me." Morro snapped. "I can do this all night. And the others will find us in the morning – they'll help get you out."

"I don't think so." The possessed ninja wrenched an arm free and elbowed him in the side. Morro nearly fell, but just tightened his grip on his other arm.

"Lloyd…" He said through clenched teeth. "I know you can hear me. You have to fight him." Archer's struggled faltered slightly. "Come on, I know you can beat him! I can't win this without you!"

"He can't beat me." Soul Archer ground out. "He is- is weak and scared. He can't do anything to me."

"Yes he can!" Morro let go of his arm and neck and wrapped his arms around Lloyd, hugging him tightly. Archer stumbled to his knees, and the wind master followed him, not letting go of Lloyd's body. "Fight him!"

"Stop!" Soul Archer roared. "Stop it!" Lloyd was fighting, and he was winning! Archer jerked his head back, trying to hit Morro with it, but the ghost ducked, pressing his forehead against Lloyd's shoulder.

"Fight him!" He yelled again. Abruptly, Lloyd's body shuddered violently, and Soul Archer was thrown out onto the ground as the blond boy went limp. Lifting one arm, Morro blew the archer away, over a hill and out of sight. In his arms, Lloyd started to cry, shaking as he covered his face with his hands. The ghost pulled away, scooping the blond boy up and carrying him back towards the monastery. The green ninja hid his face in Morro's arm, whispering,

"I'm s-sorry…"

"What for?" Morro asked softly.

"F-for letting him h-hurt y-you…"

"That's not your fault."

"B-but-"

"You beat him. You're safe. That's all that matters right now." The ghost carried him into the Monastery, then down the stairs into the basement where the Bounty was stored.

"W-where are we g-going?" Lloyd whispered, confused.

"To the Bounty's hold. I'm going to lock us in the deepstone cell. Even if Archer can find us, he won't be able to get to us."

"O-oh…" The blond boy looked relieved. Morro carried him down the steps into the hold, then took the ring of keys to the cell, stepped inside, then locked the door, setting the key beside him as he sat down with Lloyd in his lap. The green ninja twisted in his arms, wrapping his arms around Morro's chest and burying his face in his shoulder.

"You're okay…" the ghost murmured, wrapping one arm around him and running the other through his hair. Lloyd nodded slightly.

"I hate being possessed…" he whispered, his voice muffled.

"I know. That's my fault."

"I've f-forgiven you, b-but… I s-still hate it…"

"I know." Morro nuzzled his hair. "Try to sleep, okay? You need to regain your strength."

"Mm-kay…" Lloyd pillowed his head on the ghost's shoulder, tucking his arms into his chest and closing his eyes. Morro wrapped both arms around him, closing his eyes as well as he scooted back to lean against the wall. In the morning, they could tell the others what happened. For now, he just needed to let Lloyd sleep.

* * *

 **#Save Him**

 **The poor child will be paranoid for weeks (not to mention his protection squad)**

 **~FFF**


	42. We Are Family

**Finally got the motivation to type this in...**

 **no review replies because I'm p sure I'm getting kicked off any minute**

* * *

"I just don't get it." Zane said, shaking his head. "What's the point of this?"

"It's cool!" Tellen shrugged, grabbing a water bottle by its lid and flipping it in the air, only to watch it thud onto its side. "Rats."

"But why is it cool?" The nindroid pressed.

"It's impressive! You can throw a bottle in the air and make it land upright!" Anna flipped another plastic bottle, and the other two students 'ooh'ed as it landed upright. The redhead whipped a pair of sunglasses out of her pocket and put them on, striking a pose. Zane blinked.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses? We are inside."

"Because it's MLG!" Ness chirped.

"What is "MLG"?"

"You know! Memes! Doritos, mountain dew, snoop dogg, 420 blaze it!" Zane just stared. Jay, a few feet away, rolled his eyes.

"Pssh, those are old memes. Get with the times, kids."

"They're not old! They're… antique." Ness folded her arms.

"Tell that to dat boi, pepe the frog, and the various spongebob memes." The blue ninja folded his arms back. Zane slowly shook his head.

"I… still do not understand."

"Just flip the bottle." Tellen tossed him a water bottle, which he caught.

"If you insist." The nindroid lowered his arm, then tossed the plastic bottle onto the nearby table, watching it flip twice perfectly before landing upright. Anna's jaw dropped.

"H-how did you- and on the first try-"

"Simple." The ice master smiled. "I calculated the force required, the angle-"

"Ew, math mumbo jumbo." Tellen interrupted. "Do it again." Zane complied, tossing another bottle which landed cleanly beside the first.

"Not bad, not bad." Anna nodded approvingly. "But I bet you can't do it… on ICE!" The nindroid tilted his head.

"Do you mean I do it while standing on ice, or I toss it onto ice?" The redhead blinked.

"Uh…"

"Both!" Ness exclaimed.

"Yeah, both!" Anna nodded quickly.

"Alright." Zane stood up, then coated both the floor he was standing on and the table with a thin layer of ice. The students backed away a bit, watching expectantly. Taking another bottle, the nindroid bent, the tossed it through the air. The plastic cylinder landed cleanly on the icy table, skidding a couple inches before stopping, still upright. Tellen whistled.

"Now you're just showing off." Anna huffed. Zane took a pair of sunglasses from the table, then put them on and folded his arms.

"Am I em el gee yet?" The students burst out laughing.

"Yes," Ness chortled. "You definitely are."

"Anyone else wanna try?" Tellen called over to the other ninja, who were gathered around the widescreen TV on the other side of the room.

"Bit busy at the moment!" Kai yelled, hopping from square to square on the game mat he stood on. On an identical mat beside him, Cole was making thje same movements, albeit slower and more cautiously. Finally, the round ended, and Kai whooped. "YES! New high score!"

" _How?_ " Cole gestured exaggeratedly at him with both hands. "I was _raised_ a dancer! How did I lose to you?"

"I guess I'm just… _on fire~_ " Kai struck a model pose, winking at the black ninja. Cole rolled his eyes.

"Okay, the pun was bad, but the posing is worse."

"Hey, they're better than Jay's." Lloyd piped up from the couch he was sitting on, looking up from the laptop resting on his crossed legs. Jay placed a hand on his chest in mock offence.

"I'm hurt."

"Sure you are." Lloyd clicked a button on his screen. "Hey, did you know people write stories about us?"

"Say what?" Kai plopped down on the couch next to him, leaning over to see his screen.

"Yeah. I found this website called fan-fiction-dot-net. It's got a lot of stories people have written about TV shows and things, like Fritz Donnagan, but there are some stories about real people like us too." The blond scrolled down the page for a minute. "Hey, does anyone know what an 'M' rating means?"

"Nope." Kai hopped up and stretched his arms out to the sides. "Anyone else wanna challenge the master?" There was silence. "Anyone at all? Morro?" The ghost shook his head.

"I don't weigh anything. I doubt it would even work."

"True."

"I'll give it a shot." Nya said, hopping up from the opposite couch.

"Probably means 'mediocre' or something…" Lloyd muttered, clicking the link.

"Hey Morro, you should try flipping a bottle!" Anna called over. The wind master raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to… throw a plastic container filled with the only substance that can kill me?"

"Why not?"

"…fine." Morro removed his arm from around Indigo's shoulders and jumped over the back of the couch, landing on his feet and walking over next to the students and Zane. "Watch and learn." He tossed a bottle in the air, and it made one graceful turn before landing upright – with the help of a _slight_ gust of wind.

"Hey hey hey hey hey! No powers! That's cheating!" Tellen scolded him.

"You didn't say anything about no powers." Morro folded his arms. "Zane used his powers."

"To make it HARDER!"

"Still."

"Uuuuuugh. Fine." Tellen flipped another bottle and watched it fall over. "Aw." Across the room, Lloyd abruptly went very pale. Kai, celebrating his latest victory over Nya, noticed this and frowned.

"Lloyd, you okay?"

"Uh…" The blond just stared at the screen. Kai leaned over his shoulder, eyes skimming down the screen, then let out a yelp and snatched the laptop away. "Holy heck Lloyd, why were you reading that?!"

"I didn't know it was gonna be _that!_ " The blond boy defended himself.

"Do you even know what they were doing?"

" _Yes,_ Kai, I know about the birds and the bees." Lloyd huffed, folding his arms. The red ninja didn't answer, clicking things on the screen for a couple minutes.

"Okay, so, the 'M' means mature." He said at last. "I'm gonna have to tell your parents about this."

"Why? I'm a responsible teenager!"

"You're 12."

"…only mentally!"

"That's the part that matters." Kai shrugged and stood up, taking the laptop with him.

"At least give me the laptop." The green ninja crossed his arms.

"Nahhh." Kai shrugged and walked off. Lloyd groaned, leaning back against the couch.

"I can't wait to hear the lecture about this."

"You'll be fine." Morro flipped another bottle onto the table, watching it tip over. "Indigo, you should try this. It's fun."

"No thanks." Indigo replied, leaning over the back of the couch to watch him. "I'd prefer to stay at least five feet from any water when I can help it."

"Suit yourself." He flipped another bottle and grinned when it landed upright.

"Well, since Kai's gone…" Cole did a flip onto the game mat. "Nya, 1v1 me!"

"If you insist." The water ninja hopped onto the other mat and pressed play, hopping from square to square in time to the music.

"Ninja!" Misako poked her head into the room. "Pack up your games, dinner's almost ready!"

"I'm not a ninja!" Indigo yelled, flopping back down onto the couch.

"You're an honorary ninja, dear." Lloyd's mom said before stepping back into the kitchen. Indigo blinked, blushing a bit.

"Oh." Lloyd stood up slowly, glancing around at the others. Apparently Kai hadn't complained to her yet.

"We'll be there in a moment!" Nya yelled, a bit late. "Kai's high score is going _down!_ " She continued in a quieter voice.

"So's yours!" Cole shot back.

"Ya think so?" Nya stepped on the last button before the level finished and screen flashed Cole's name. "Aw."

"Yes! Victory!" Cole pumped his fist in the air. "It's okay, Nya. You could never beat a ninja."

"I'm a ninja too, you dork." The water mistress punched him in the arm. "Don't forget that I could kill you easily."

"Alright, alright, I give up."

"Kids!" Misako hollered from the dining room. "Anyone not here in two minutes is skipping dinner!" The group quickly began to file out of the room, Nya shutting off the game console before hurrying after them. They were an odd bunch, those that lived there. But, with everything they had gone through together, they were more than just housemates. They were a family.

* * *

 **This is a combination of two requests + an old idea I had**

 **hope you enjoyed ;P**

 **~FFF**


	43. Some Bonds Never Break

**Happy Birthday to me~**

 **Review replies:**

 **Ninjachief: I've honestly been planning that oneshot for like 5 months and snickering over Lloyd accidently reading porn**

 **Amber: Oh cool! I stole that name from an episode of a show I watch. :) Also yeah... he would've been pretty confused.**

 **Rosalina: Indeed.**

 **Windy: The poor child. He's only 12. Also about Cole... good point. I forgot he was a ghost. Let's just say Morro was making excuses for why he shouldn't have to play.**

 **Guest: Sure! Right here!**

 **Readers who have watched Avatar: The Last Airbender will probably recognise the dialog I stole from one of the episodes for this oneshot... huehue**

* * *

Some Bonds Never Break

"So you actually brought him here." Jay frowned as Morro stepped behind Lloyd, folding his arms as he stared at the ground. "So I guess you're going to look after him?"

"He's not a dog, Jay, he's a person." Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, a ghost person who tried to take over the world." Jay huffed. "All I'm saying is keep an eye on him."

"Fine. Morro, c'mon, let's get you a room." The ghost quickly followed the green ninja upstairs, eager to get away from the angry and suspicious stares of the other ninja. Lloyd lead him into an empty bedroom, pointing out the room's distance from the other used bedrooms (two rooms away on either side) and the large window he could leave through if he wanted (Morro decided not to remind him that he was a ghost and could go through walls. He was only trying to be nice.). Just as Lloyd turned to leave, Morro heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards him, and instinctively backed away from the door. When the figure appeared in the doorway, Morro relaxed – but only a bit. Sensei.

"Sensei." Lloyd sounded unsure. "I… guess you can see I brought Morro here."

"Indeed. Would you mind giving him and I a minute alone?" Morro took another step back, swallowing. Why did he want him alone? He must be angry with him for what he'd done, would he hurt him? Lloyd's thoughts seemed to be running a similar course, as he looked back and forth between him and Sensei a few times before finally nodding and leaving the room. Morro stared at the ground for a few moments, hands awkwardly met in front of him before looking up and meeting Sensei's eyes. He couldn't tell if he looked happy to see him or not, his beard and the shadow of his hat made it too hard to read his expression.

"Sensei, I…" His voice faltered. "…I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me again. But… I-I want you to know that I am… SO sorry… about what I did. I never should have run away in the first place, and I never should have possessed Lloyd, it was wrong of me, I-" Morro was cut off when Sensei stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, resting his head on his shoulder. The ghost was frozen for a moment, the tenitively hugged him back. "H-how can you not be angry with me?" He stammered. "A-after all I've done?"

"I was never angry with you." His sensei replied quietly. "Ever since I took you in, I have loved you like a son. That has not changed. I was only sad… I was afraid you had lost your way."

"I did lose my way." The ghost mumbled, rested his head on the older man's shoulder.

"But you found it again." There was a smile in Sensei's voice. "And I am so glad you found your way here."

"I… Lloyd helped." Morro mumbled bashfully.

"But it took a decision from you to let go of your anger and hate, and accept his offer of help." Morro nodded slightly.

"I guess." They hugged for a few moments longer before Sensei pulled away, guiding him over to the bed and sitting them down side by side.

"How long have you been back in Ninjago?"

"About two months, I think." The wind master didn't meet his eyes, staring at his hands in his lap instead.

"How did you get food?"

"Out of trash bins."

"Oh dear." Sensei was quiet for a moment, and Morro took the opportunity to ask,

"Do you think the others will leave me alone? Will they let me stay?" He looked up at him now, worry showing clearly on his face.

"I will forbid them from bothering you or threatening you."

"Oh. Thank you." Morro allowed himself a small smile. "I… I can't blame them for not trusting me. I'm not sure if I trust me."

"I trust you."

"B-but why? I-I've done nothing to deserve trust…" the wind master mumbled, looking back down at his hands.

"Your actions show that you have changed. The old you would never have never even accepted Lloyd's offers of food, much less let him share your shelter from a storm or agree to live with him. Not without some malicious intent."

"How do you know I don't-"

"Do you?"

"No!"

"That's why."

"I… I guess?" Morro shuffled his feet on the floor. "Does Lloyd… does he really care about me?" The ghost looked up at his Sensei again.

"What do you mean?"

"At first, I thought he was only helping me to get information about his father." Sensei raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you assume that? Do you _have_ information on my brother?" Morro looked up at him in alarm.

"That's not the only reason _you're_ helping me, is it?"

"No, of course not!" The elderly man quickly assured him. "I love my brother, but I love you as well. I am simply worried about him." Morro nodded, looking back down at his hands.

"I… do know something about him, but… I don't want to tell anyone yet. I don't want people bothering me about it yet."

"Alright." Sensei nodded. "That is your decision, and I will not force you to talk. You are a guest, not a prisoner. And as for your previous question, yes, I do believe Lloyd cares about you. In the two weeks since he started bringing you food, he has talked of little else, especially to me. He worried that you would get caught, or that you weren't eating enough, or that you would get caught in a storm and killed. He certainly cares about you.

"But why? I hurt him so much."

"Like you, Lloyd let go of his anger and hate, and saw, instead of a monster who tortured him, a boy who needed help." So that's why destiny chose him.

"Lloyd is a very good person." He remarked, ducking his head slightly.

"Yes he is." Sensei agreed. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "Would you like some time alone?" Morro nodded.

"I'm going to get some rest. Try to sleep."

"Alright." Sensei squeezed his shoulder gently before standing up and leaving the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Letting out a soft sight, Morro lay down, stretching out on the bed as he closed his eyes. He wasn't alone anymore. Two weeks ago, he had been homeless, hated, not a friend in the world. Now, he had Sensei, and… maybe Lloyd. He had a safe place to stay. He was loved.

He was safe.

* * *

 ***inconspicuously steals dialog***

 **~FFF**


	44. Haunting Part 1

***walks into room* hello everyone I'm back from Tenne- *ducks flying axe* DON'T SHOOT I'LL UPDATE TDR SOON I PROMISE**

 **iiiin the meantime have this 2 or 3 shot I had the idea for while I was bored**

 **Review replies:**

 **TheSincereViolinest: I love them**

 **Zena: Agree**

 **Ninjachief: Garmadon would probably be alarmed and revoke his internet privileges. Morro is a scared smol.**

 **Guest: No problem!**

 **Windy: Yessss nervous Morro is my jam**

* * *

Haunting

"Why are you two always cuddling?" Lloyd looked up from his video game to see Kai standing a few feet away with his arms crossed.

"Why not?" Morro asked, who was sitting next to the blond with his head on his shoulder, as he paused the game. "We like it."

"Yeaaah, but it's kinda… weird." The red ninja frowned.

"There's no law against hugging, Kai." Lloyd put one arm around Morro's shoulders.

"It's still weird!" Kai insisted. "You two are acting like a couple!"

"No we're not." Morro gave him a one-eyed glare from Lloyd's shoulder.

"That's gross, Kai." Lloyd glared at him too.

"Alright, alright, chill." Kai put up his hands in surrender.

"Whatever." The two went back to their video game.

"Still, I've never seen anyone as cuddly as you."

"Shh, Kai, you're gonna make us lose." The green ninja glared at him for half a second before turning back to the screen.

"Fine." Kai waited until the end of the level before saying, "I have a challenge for you."

"Really?" Lloyd set down his controller and leaned over to look at him. "And what's that?"

"I want you two," He paused, pointing to him and Morro to be sure they knew who he was talking about, "To spend an entire night in a haunted house, without hugging or cuddling at all. Or even holding hands."

"What do we get if we do?" The blond raised an eyebrow.

"My respect?"

"You already respect me."

"How about $20?"

"You're on."

"Lloyd, are you sure?" Morro turned to frown at him. "I think you'll get scared."

"Me? Scared? By a lame old haunted house?" Lloyd scoffed. "I'm a _ninja_."

"A ninja with PTSD."

"And?"

"Whatever." Morro lifted his head from the blond's shoulder. "Kai, how do you plan to make sure we follow the rules?"

"Cameras."

"Okay then."

"Okay, I'm gonna go make some arrangements. Lloyd, if you lose, you owe me $20."

"Fine." Kai walked out of the room as the blond started the next level.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Morro asked again.

"Easy $20." Was all Lloyd replied.

"If you say so."

Haunting

"Spooky." Lloyd said in a monotone voice, gazing up at the cheesy-looking haunted house in the evening light.

"You don't sound impressed." Kai elbowed him.

"I've been in the Cursed Realm. This is tame."

"We'll see. I might've made a few… adjustments." Kai clapped him on the back. "Well, in you go. And I'm locking you in, so don't try to get out before morning. Good luck!" The brunette pushed him and Morro towards the open door, and they walked inside. "And remember: no snuggling!" Then he slammed the door, and they heard a click.

"Easy $20." Lloyd said with a shrug. "Wanna look around?"

"You know if you get startled, your first reaction is gonna be to hug me, right?" Morro smirked.

"It will not." The blond rolled his eyes and started towards the door on the other side of the room. "I'm a strong, independent ninja," He turned the knob. "And I am not scared of a cheesy- ack!" The door, instead of opening like it should have when he turned the knob, fell off its hinges and knocked him to the floor. "Ow."

"You okay?" Morro sounded more amused than concerned.

"Yeah. It's not very heavy." Lloyd pushed it off him and stood up, glaring at a camera in the upper corner of the room. "A door falling on me isn't _scary,_ Kai. Just annoying."

"I'm sure he has worse." Morro assured him.

"For his sake, I hope so." Lloyd turned towards the now-empty doorway. "Let's find someplace to chill. And sleep." Morro smirked.

"…if we can."

"Are you scheming with Kai?"

"No, no, just teasing you." The ghost rolled his eyes with a smile. "But yeah, let's go."

Haunting

"Well this is dull." Lloyd leaned his head back on his arms as he lay sprawled out on an old-fashioned couch. Morro sat on the floor next to it, leaning back so his head rested on the cushion at Lloyd's feet. Nothing else had happened since the door had fallen 20 minutes ago, and the blond was starting to get bored.

"Yeah. I overestimated Kai." Morro shrugged. "This isn't scary at all."

"Yeah. I've seen scarier things under Cole's bed."

"Is that a good comparison? The underside of Cole's bed is pretty nasty."

"…fair point." Lloyd snickered. They sat there in silence for a few minutes as the last sliver of sun vanished over the horizon. Abruptly, a clock chimed, and they both jumped. Lloyd chuckled awkwardly when he realized what had startled him. "Just a clock."

"Yeah…" Morro trailed off. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lloyd tilted his head, trying to listen. After a moment, he heard it – a faint tapping. "I hear it. Where's it coming from?"

"I don't know." The ghost slowly got to his feet, glancing around the room for the source. "Hello?" He called. In response, there was a quiet, ethereal moan coming from a closed door.

"It must be some gimmick to lure us in then jump out at us." Lloyd dismissed it, but Morro frowned.

"Probably, but I think we should check it out just in case."

"Fine." Lloyd stood up, pretending to be unconcerned, but he felt a twinge of nervousness. He tried not to imagine what was making the tapping. Realistically, it was probably a little mechanically-operated hammer or something. He tried to think about that instead. Morro headed over to the door and, after a moment's hesitation, opened it and walked inside, Lloyd following. The room was mostly empty, the only thing inside being a lone coffin on the other side of the room. The source of the tapping. "Oh great." The blond muttered as he and Morro exchanged glances.

"There's probably some kind of monster amnatronic in there." The ghost mused. "That will jump out at us when we open it."

"Yeah." Lloyd nodded. "So… should we open it?"

"Why not? Afraid of a silly robot?"

"No. Why? Are you?"

"No."

"Then you open it."

"Fine." Morro walked over to the coffin, then turned around to look at him. "But you're coming with me."

"Why?"

"Prove you're not scared."

"Oh fine." Lloyd stomped over. "Just open the coffin."

"Fine." Morro pulled it open, and there was an unearthly scream as a plastic skeleton popped out. Both ninja jumped a foot back in alarm before exchanging glances. "Heh. See? I was right."

"Yep. Just what we expected." Lloyd nodded, trying to calm his racing heart.

What he didn't expect was the trap door that opened directly underneath him.

Lloyd let out a yelp as he fell into the dark hole, which curved into a tunnel that he tumbled along until he hit a wall with a grunt. There was a grinding sound as he struggled to sit up, then silence. As he pushed himself up, his head hit the low ceiling. Where was he? He tried to summon a ball of light, but nothing happened, and his heartbeat spiked. Vengestone?!

His breathing shallow, the blond felt his way around the enclosed space. He was trapped in a shallow box, just tall enough for him to sit on his knees with his head down and shoulders hunched, and about six feet long and a foot and a half wide. A coffin. He pushed as hard as he could on the top, but it didn't budge. He was locked inside. And however he came in had been closed up behind him. Was it airtight? Was he going to suffocate?!

"MORRO!" He screamed, beating on the top. "HELP!" He wasn't especially claustrophobic, but being locked in a vengestone coffin with the threat of suffocation was enough to scare anyone. "MORRO, HELP ME!" There was no answer. He pounded his fists on the top of the box until they ached, and screamed until his voice was hoarse, tears beginning to fall after a couple minutes. No change. Finally, he heard an answering call.

"Lloyd!"

"Morro, g-get me out!" He yelled as best as he could with his hoarse voice.

"I'm coming! Where are you?"

"I-in a coffin, I think…"

"Which one?" 'Which one'?

"I-I don't know, just come to my voice…" Lloyd started pounding on the top again.

"Is that banging you?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay." After a moment, he heard a clicking, and the lid opened, flooding the pitch-black box with light and causing him to cover his face with his arm as he struggled to sit up.

"Here." A hand found his and pulled him up, and he blinked in the blinding light to see Morro kneeling next to the coffin with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm not hurt." Lloyd shook his head as he wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve. "S-stupid Kai. That was scary."

"Couldn't you break your way out?"

"N-no, it's Vengestone." Lloyd clambered out of the black box, kneeling next to Morro. "I couldn't even m-make a light."

"Oh." Morro squeezed his hand. "Let's just… go back to that room and wait it out."

 _Creak._ Both of them jumped at the loud noise from above, and Lloyd looked up at the flimsy-looking wooden ceiling as another creaking footstep sounded.

"Um… we are alone here, aren't we?" The blond spoke up uneasily.

"I thought we were… it must be another scare tactic." Morro pulled him to his feet, then let go of his hand. "Let's go find a place to hide."

"Right." Morro lead him down to an open door on the other side of the room, which was open, presumably because he had entered through it. Lloyd stayed close behind him as they passed through the room with the trap door, their soft footsteps being the only sound in the dark building. When they reached the door back to the room with the couch, it was locked.

"Uh oh…" The ghost muttered as he fiddled with the knob. "I'd go to the other side and try to unlock it, but odds are there's something horrible on the other side." Lloyd nodded.

"Let's just… find another room. Hopefully without trap doors."

"Yeah. Also…" Morro grabbed his wrist gently. "In case the floor opens up underneath one of us."

"Good idea." Lloyd turned around to go back out the other door, but jumped back in alarm as it slammed shut and locked of its own accord. "Oh." They were locked in.

"Well… this isn't the worst place to be trapped." Moro said slowly. "The only thing in here is that." He gestured to the fake skeleton.

"But something else has to be about to happen." Lloyd insisted. "Kai wouldn't get us trapped in a room just so we can sit here all night!"

"You're right." Morro sighed and sat down against the wall. "Let's just hope there's a way out when something does."

 _Creak._ Lloyd jumped a foot in the air at the heavy footstep in the hall outside, breaking away from Morro and dashing to the other side of the room. The other ninja stood up and followed him, sitting down next to him as he cowered by the opposite wall.

"It's gonna be okay, alright?" The ghost assured him. "It's just a bunch of tricks. Nothing is going to hurt us." Lloyd let out a shaky breath.

"I know, I know, it's just… h-hard to get out of the mindset that everyone is trying to kill me."

"Don't I know it." _Creak._ This one was closer.

"I'm scared." Lloyd pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Well, I did warn you." Morro slowly reached over and patted his shoulder. "That probably didn't count." The blond cracked a smile. _Creak. Creak. Creak._ The knob rattled, and Lloyd covered his eyes with his hands.

The door opened.

* * *

 **guess what it is**

 **go on guess**

 **I DARE YOU TO GUESS**

 **I won't update until I get guesses ಠ_ಠ**

 **~FFF**


	45. Haunting Part 2

**disclaimer: I am not responsible for any sleeplessness caused by this chapter**

 **Review replies:**

 **Everyone who guessed Kai: You think he'd give up so soon? Only an hour in? Not by a long shot.**

 **Nicktastic: Cole, the guy afraid of ghosts? He wouldn't be caught dead in a haunted house... oh wait, he is dead...**

 **Chan: :)))**

 **Windy: You really think... I would write a horror fic... without cuddling?**

 ***flowey laugh***

* * *

"Lloyd, it's okay. There's nothing there." Lloyd slowly lowered his hands from his face, peeking up to see that the doorway was empty. "It must be mechanically operated."

"Y-yeah…" The blond nodded jerkily. "C-can you… can you check the hall? J-just to make sure?"

"Of course." Morro nodded, standing up and walking towards the door. "The hall's empty. You're safe."

"Th-thank you." Lloyd braced his hands on the floor, trying to calm down. He didn't get a chance, though, as the floor opened underneath him and he fell backwards into a trap door with a cry. Much to his relief, he stopped short as a hand grabbed his ankle, keeping him from falling far. Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut, unnerved by hanging upside-down in pitch blackness. "M-Morro?"

"I'm here." The ghost started to pull him up. "You're not hurt?"

"No, I-I'm fine, but we g-gotta get out of here before we f-fall…" Lloyd grabbed his hand as soon as he was out, letting the wind master shift his grip to his wrist.

"Alright. Come on." Morro pulled him to his feet, leading him out through the open doors. Lloyd closed one eye, peeking up at the hall in front of him with the other so he didn't hit something. "Lloyd, here." Morro took his free hand and lifted it up. "Make some light so I can see, then you can close your eyes. I won't let you hit anything."

"O-okay…. The blond created an orb of light and held it up, the light making him feel a bit better as he closed his eyes. Morro lead him down the dark passage, their footsteps the only sound in the dark building. Abruptly, Lloyd realized something – Morro was silent when he walked. So why was he hearing two sets of footsteps? Eyes snapping open, Lloyd whirled around just in time to see a dark figure vanish into the darkness. The blond sank to his knees as he teared up again, the light in his hand going out as Morro looked over at him in surprise.

"There was s-someone b-behind us…" he stammered through his tears. "I h-heard footsteps a-and there was s-someone th-there… I'm s-scared…"

"Shh, it's okay." The ghost sat on the floor next to him, not letting go of his wrist. "Nothing is going to hurt us. It's just a trick."

"I-I know, but I'm s-still scared…"

"Do you wanna give up?"

"N-no…" Lloyd sniffled, rubbing the tears off his face with his sleeve. "No, I-I can d-do this…"

"Okay. Just close your eyes and let me guide you." The blond obeyed, squeezing his eyes shut and letting Morro pull him to his feet. After a few minutes of walking, he heard the second set of footsteps join in again, and shuddered, squeezing Morro's wrist tighter. "What's wrong?" The ghost asked softly.

"Th-there's s-someone behind us…" Lloyd whispered, and he felt Morro turn to look.

"There was, but they ran. How did you know?"

"F-footsteps…"

"Oh." Suddenly, Morro stopped walking. "Lloyd…" A pang of fear going through him, the blond boy looked up to see fog pouring down the hallway towards them.

"O-oh no…" Nervous, Lloyd looked over his shoulder, then scrambled towards Morro in alarm. "M-Morro!" Standing behind them in the hallway was a dark figure, eyes glowing red in the darkness as the fog flowed around it. Morro turned, then when stiff.

"Make a light." He ordered. "Now!" Shakily, Lloyd obeyed, lifting his hand as he created an orb of light. When the light fell on the creature, he froze in horror. The thing behind them was some sort of gruesome monster, like a skeleton, but still partially had flesh. Grey, green, rotting flesh that hung limply off its bones. Half of its face was torn off, the lower half twisted into a permanent, sadistic grin. A zombie. Lloyd was frozen in place until he felt Morro tug him backwards, yelling,

" _Run!"_ Throwing his orb of energy at the _thing_ , Lloyd obeyed, letting Morro pull him along through the halls. The ghost blew the fog out of their path with his powers, blowing it behind them to hopefully detain the zombie, whose footsteps they could hear pounding after them. Finally, Morro threw a door along the side of the passage open and ducked through it, yanking Lloyd through after him and slamming the door and locking it. They heard the zombie's footsteps come closer, then passed them by. Lloyd let out a shuddering sigh, sinking to the ground as his shaking knees could no longer hold his weight.

"W-was that… a-a trick?" He whispered fearfully. Morro sighed.

"I… don't know. There are monsters like that in the Cursed Realm, they roam the mist 'ocean' around the continent…" He shook his head. "How could Kai know about that? On the other hand, how could he get one out? I'm confused." Lloyd hugged his knees to his chest.

"I'm n-not going b-back out there… w-what's in this room?" The blond held up a ball of light, then shrieked and covered his face at the sight of a dozen grinning faces staring back at him.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just masks." Morro touched his shoulder, and he looked up again to see that yes, it was just masks. "We should be safe here. Unless there's another way in or a trap d- aaah!" Lloyd's head snapped around just in time to see Morro's head disappear into a hole. Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no no no no. Morro was gone.

The trap door probably lead to the coffin room, which was all the way back through the house. And he didn't remember where it was. And even if he did, he would have to go all the way back through those hallways. And he couldn't, he just couldn't. Not with the zombie out there. But he couldn't leave Morro trapped there!

Lloyd covered his face again, starting to cry as he huddled into himself. He was wrong. He couldn't do it. Eyes blurred with tears, the blond looked up, searching the upper corners of the room for a camera. When he found one, he stuttered,

"K-Kai, I-I give up. I'm s-sorry, I c-can't d-do this…" He sniffled, lowering his face again. "L-let us out, p-please…" For a few moments, there was silence other than his sniffles. Then there was a low hum, like something powering down, and Kai's voice echoed through the room.

"Okay. I'm letting you out. I let Morro out of the coffin, and I turned off the zombie. It is right outside your door, though, 'cause I had it standing there for when you tried to keave."

" _Kai!_ That would've given me a heart attack, or at the very least nightmares for weeks! And I'm not walking past that!"

"Fine, fine, I'll move it." He heard a hum of powering up, then footsteps that grew farther and farther away. 'I shut down all the traps, okay? Nothing's gonna jump out at you."

"…promise?"

"I promise." Kai swore. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"O-okay…" Slowly, the blond shakily got to his feet, opening the door a crack and peeking out. Nothing. Not even the fog. Slowly, he opened it the rest of the way and ventured out into the hall. After looking back and forth, he started down the hall to his right, but stopped short as Kai exclaimed,

"Wait! Go the other way. I put the zombie around that corner, I think you'd jump out of your skin if you saw it, even deactivated."

"Y-yeah, I probably would." Lloyd turned around, heading down the hall the other way. "Morro?" He called down the hallway. No answer. "Morro…" He kept calling the ghost's name as he picked his way down the hallways, wandering for about five minutes before hearing an answering call.

"Lloyd!"

"Morro? Where are you?" Lloyd slowed his pace.

"I'm coming. My coffin opened by itself. What happened?"

"I gave up. Kai's letting us out."

"Oh." At the end of the hallway, Morro appeared around the corner, then visibly relaxed at the sight of him and hurried down the hall towards him. Upon reaching him, the ghost grabbed him in a tight hug, one that the blond was glad to return.

"I-I shouldn't have accepted his challenge, I'm sorry, you were right…" he whispered.

"It's okay. You just underestimated him. It's not your fault." Morro murmured in reply.

"B-but if I hadn't, y-you wouldn't get s-stuck in a coffin… w-were you scared?"

"Maybe a little." The ghost brushed off the question. "Let's just get back to the Monastery."

"O-okay…" One arm around his shoulders, Morro lead Lloyd through the silent building, down to the front doors. When he tried to open them, however, they were still locked. Huh? "Kai!" Lloyd turned to glared at a camera. "Let us out!" No answer.

"Is that camera on?" Morro frowned. "The light's off." He was right, Lloyd realized. There was no red light for either camera in the room. "Maybe he's having technical difficulties."

"Hmm, difficulties, yes." A familiar voice echoed through the room behind them, and Lloyd spun around in alarm. "But I wouldn't count on them being entirely technical in nature." The figure slithered into the light, and Lloyd's eyes went wide in shock.

Pythor.

* * *

 _ **It's not just a trick anymore.**_

 **~FFF**


	46. Smoke and Mirrors

**This is the prize for raerae2256 on tumblr for a giveaway I did, also known as Nicktastic Productions on here! Enjoy the angst.**

 **This oneshot is based on a song called Smoke and Mirrors by Lollia. Look it up first if you want spoilers, if you don't remember to watch it after reading it.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **PastelNinjaMonlie: But he has to be there, for angst purposes.**

 **Nicktastic: It always does.**

 **Kat: ;)**

 **Ninjachief: Lloyd is 100% a crybaby. Kudos for noticing.**

 **Windy: xD Thank you! However, that is kind of... a problem... for me... seeing as I can't sleep whenever I write/read that story...**

 **enjoy some murder**

* * *

 _Riiiiiiiiing._ Jessica groaned, rolling over and covering her head with her pillow. That was the _fifth_ time. Did they have any idea what time it was? _Riiiiiiiiiiiiing._ Ugh. The brunette pressed her pillow over her ears. Why would anyone be calling her so late? Unless it was something important. But why would an unknown number be calling her about something important in the middle of the night? Sighing, Jessica sat up as her phone went off once again. She might as well answer it. It could be important, from how insistant this person was. Taking her smartphone, she tapped the button to answer and lifted it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said tiredly.

"Is- is this Jessica?" A high-pitched, nervous voice asked from the other end.

"Yeah. Who are you?" the brunette asked, pushing her hair out of her face. The voice seemed oddly familiar, even though she was sure she didn't know it.

"M-my name is Kaity. I need your help."

"Mine? Why? How do you know me?"

"I-I'll explain soon, it's just… I'm in danger." There was a sound of a car driving past, and the girl gave a little yelp.

"Alright, I'll help. Where are you?"

"A-at the corner of 6th and Maple, in New Ninjago City. In a little alley between two shops."

"Okay. Just give me a minute to wake up my boyfriend, and I'll-"

"No!" Kaity exclaimed. "You can't bring anyone else! I'm sorry, it's very complicated, but if you brought someone else then all of us would be in terrible danger!"

"Alright…" This was very suspicious, but the poor girl seemed terrified. She had to help her. "I'll get my motorcycle, then I'll be there soon."

"Th-thank you." The girl seemed relieved. "If you need help finding me, just call me again." With that, she hung up, leaving Jessica to wonder if it had really happened. Well, if the '18 missed calls' notification was any indication, it had. Shaking her head, Jessica quickly changed into normal clothes, then hurried downstairs to the garage, taking her motorcycle and driving off towards the city.

SmokeAndMirrors

"…inja, GO! Ninja, come on, come on, we're gonna do it again, we just jump up kick back whip around and spin! Ninja, come on…" Lloyd groaned, rolling over to look at his bedside clock. Wasn't it too early for his alarm to be going off? Oh wait, that wasn't his alarm. That was his ringtone. Who was calling him at 6 in the morning? Grabbing his phone off his nightstand, he held it up to see 'Jessica ❤︎' displayed on the screen. Why was Jessica calling him? They lived in the same building. Whatever. He hit answer, then lowered it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Lloydy dear!" A cheerful voice chirped on the other end. _Not_ Jessica's voice. The blond froze, his eyes going wide in shock.

"T-Tori?!" He stammered. "W-what- how-"

"Well that's not a polite response." Tori muttered. "The polite thing to say would be 'Good morning, Tori dearest, how are you feeling tod-"

"How did you get out of the insane asylum we put you in?" Lloyd interrupted.

"Umm, I amassed an army of rats and got them to chew me out, duh." The blond just stared for a moment. Was she serious? "But back to business. How's your girlfriend doing? Run into any murderers lately?"

"Um, you should know. You've got her phone. What did you do with her?!" He demanded.

"Oh relax, she's fine. Jessie dear, say hello to your boyfriend, or I'll stab you." There was a moment of silence, then a quiet voice.

"…hey Lloyd."

"Jessica? Where are you? Are you okay?" He asked quickly.

"I'm in a-" Her voice cut off as Tori began to speak again.

"Oh, she's fine. For now. Just tied to a chair with her axe confiscated."

"But how? How did you-"

"That's not important." The blond girl cut him off. "What's important is that you come and pay both of us a little visit. Right now. _Alone._ If you so much as tell one of your little buddies about me, I'll slit her throat."

"But… how will you know if I do?"

"I'm not doing to end the call. And if you end the call, I'll assume you're telling someone and chop her head off." Lloyd flinched.

"What… what if I lose signal or something or accidently hang up?"

"Then I'll assume you're telling someone and chop her head off? Geez Lloydy, I'm not a mind reader. I won't know." The blond boy swallowed.

"A-alright… where are you?"

"Get outside and get on your dragon. I'll track your phone and guide you."

"Alright, just… give me a minute to change out of my nightclothes."

"Clock's ticking, Lloydy." The green ninja hurridly changed into some casual clothes, then climbed out his window onto the roof and summoned his dragon.

"I'm on my dregon." He said as he took off. "Now what?"

"Fly towards New Ninjago City." Tori's voice crackled from the phone in his hand. He obeyed. Once he was near the city, she directed him towards the west side – the slums. That's where he had found Morro. And where the Overlord had made one of his hideouts. She brought him to a large, familiar-looking warehouse. The Overlord's hideout. Was that deliberate? "Now come inside." She ordered. "And you can hang up now." With that, the call ended, and Lloyd slowly entered the warehouse through the small door.

The huge room was barely lit, the only light being from a single, dim light hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. In the circle of light it created were two girls, one tied to a chair and the other leaning on the handle of an axe, the head of which was balanced on the floor. "Nice to see you showed up, Lloydy." The latter gave him a cheerful smile, but her tone seemed… more sinister than usual.

"Skip it." He stalked towards them – slowly, so she didn't think he was attacking her. "What do you want with me?"

"Love, Lloydy. You made a promise to me, a long time ago." The blond girl lifted Jessica's axe and hoisted it over her shoulder, walking a slow circle around her captive. "Don't you remember?"

"No. What promise?" Lloyd stopped, about ten feet away, and met Jessica's eyes. She didn't look scared, or even angry, just… annoyed. And maybe a little bored. Like 'oh my gosh how dare you play around with my axe like that you little heck'.

"You promised to marry me."

"What?" Lloyd's eyes snapped back up to meet Tori's. "I never- what?"

"When we were kids, Lloydy." Tori swung the axe around, the blade coming alarmingly close to Jessica's neck – he saw a strand of brown hair flutter to the floor. Sharp. "You were always talking about how you were going to take over the world. Yes, dear, your boyfriend was a strange kid." The blond girl added in response to Jessica's confused look. "I asked if I could be your queen. You said yes." Lloyd frowned.

"Okay, first of all, I don't remember that at all. Secondly-"

"Well I remember it, and I have the axe, so my memory is the one that counts." Tori interrupted.

"Secondly, the blond boy continued without acknowledging her. "'Queen' doesn't necessarily imply marriage. Thir-"

"'Your queen' does."

" _Thirdly,_ I _didn't_ take over the world, so my 'promise' can't be fulfilled." Lloyd crossed his arms. "So I'm under no obligation to marry you."

"Hmm." Tori nodded. "Okay." Abruptly, she dropped the axe, whipped a gun out of its holster, cocked it, and pressed it to the side of Jessica's head. "How about now?" Lloyd froze. Oh no. Tori was crazy, the slightest thing could set her off.

"I- I-" he stammered.

"Not so confident now, huh?" The blond girl giggled. "So choose. Do you love me? Or her?"

"I…" If he said he loved Jessica, she would kill her. But.. would God forgive him for lying to save her? He thought he would. "I love you. Sorry, Jessica, but I've… I've loved her all along. I was just playing hard to get." He gave Jessica a meaningful look – he was bluffing. Tori gasped, lowering the gun as she raised her hand to her mouth in shock.

"Oh my goodness! I-I'm so happy to hear you say that! Let's just- let's get married now! Okay? Tonight."

"W-what?" Oh. Uh oh. He hadn't seen that coming.

"You weren't… lying, were you?" Tori looked crestfallen. "You do love me… don't you?"

"But… her and I are… already married." He blurted. The mistress of darkness blinked.

"Are you serious? You're like 12."

"But I have the _body_ of a 16 year old. So I can pass as one." The blond boy countered. Tori stared for a moment.

"So you married her."

"Y-yeah."

"So you either planned to get a divorce, or…" Her eyes flashed with anger. "You were lying." Crap.

"N-no, I-"

"This is _your_ fault." Tori spun around to face Jessica. "You've bewitched him somehow- made him love you, and marry you, when it was me he loved all along!" Oh no. Oh no no no.

"Tori, wait!" Lloyd yelled, dashing forward as his yandere snatched up the gun.

"What is it?!" The blond girl hissed, pressing the gun to Jessica's head again. She looked scared now, Jessica did. Did she realize now that he didn't know what to do? "Want to say your final goodbyes to this _witch?!_ "

"No! I…" In a last ditch attempt to stall her, he stammered, "I-I have to kill her." Tori lowered the gun a bit.

"What?"

"You're right. She bewitched me." He swallowed. "When you tied her up, the spell- the spell was weakened. But I have to be the one to kill her, or the spell will put me into a coma."

"So I was right." Tori's eyes lit up. "Then kill her! Hurry! So we can be together!"

"R-right." He approached her and took the gun, hands shaking as he pointed it at Jessica. She looked scared, betrayed. Did she think he was really going to shoot her? Or was she acting? He kept the gun pointed at her shoulder, in case it went off.

"Why are you shaking?" Tori frowned as she took a step closer.

"I-I've never killed anyone before." Lloyd stammered. It was true, he hadn't. "And her, uh… her spell is affecting me."

"Well maybe I can help." Grabbing his shoulder, she pulled him towards her and kissed him full on the lips. He kissed her back, putting his free hand on her shoulder and closing his eyes. When she pulled away, he gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Tori."

"Sorry for what?" She asked breathlessly.

"For this."

He shot her in the leg.

Tori let out a sharp gasp, stumbling back and clutching her thigh.

"L-Lloyd, what-?"

"I'm sorry, Tori. But I don't love you. And no amount of threatening or seducing is going to change that." The blond boy turned away, tossing the gun to the ground a few feet away and hurrying to untie Jessica.

"About time you got me out of these." The brunette let out a shaky laugh as Lloyd untied the knots.

"Why are you shaking?" He asked as he worked the ropes free and helped her up. "You didn't really think I was gonna shoot you, did you?"

"No. But it was still kinda nerve wracking to have my boyfriend declare he had to kill me and point a gun at me." She huffed. "Plus, she nearly took my head off waving my axe around like that."

"Fair enough." Lloyd gave her a quick hug, then turned to make sure Tori was staying put. She was, sitting on the floor with a smile on her face as she hugged her bleeding leg to her chest. "Jessie, call the police." The blond boy instructed before retrieving the gun and aiming it at Tori again. His girlfriend nodded, grabbing her phone from the floor where her captor had dropped it and calling 9-1-1. "What are you smiling about?" Lloyd asked, turning back to Tori. "You've lost." She giggled.

"Maybe. But you kissed me. That makes it worth it."

"I didn't kiss you. You kissed me. There's a difference."

"But you kissed back." She insisted. "And you didn't hesitate. You enjoyed it. My first kiss was you, Lloydy. That makes all of this worth it." The blond girl closed her eyes, leaning back and closing her eyes with a smile. "Someday, Lloyd, you will love me. Just wait."

"You can wait as long as you want, Tori. I won't love you."

"We'll see." The three stayed in their positions for about another 15 minutes, Jessica watching silently as Lloyd kept her gun trained on Tori. Then the polive arrived, and the green ninja gave them a quick description of what happened before they handcuffed her and took her away. They offered to give the couple a ride home, but they declined, saying they could make it on their own. Once the police had gone, Lloyd and Jessica shared a tight hug.

"Well, now I know how Indigo feels." Jessica said, muffled, into his chest.

"How's that?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow.

"She always complains about being kdnapped and used as bait." The blond chuckled.

"Fair. Tori didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Not really. Other than clubbing me over the head to knock me out so she could tie me up and take my axe."

"Oh. So that's how she captured you. I didn't think you would go down without a fight."

"Of course not." Jessica pulled away and began to walk down towards the far end of the warehouse. "Just let me get my motorcycle, then I'll explain on the way home."

"Wait, your motorcycle?" Lloyd asked as he followed. "How'd that get here?"

"I said I'd explain on the way!" His girlfriend called over her shoulder.

"Okay, okay." The blond shook his head, smiling a bit as he followed her towards the shadows at the back of the room. Despite Tori's threats to someday win his affections, he knew she could never succeed. Because, no matter how hard she tried, Tori couldn't even hold a candle to the light that was his girlfriend.

* * *

 **Can you believe Lloyd loves his girlfriend with all his heart and soul**

 **Remember to watch Smoke and Mirrors if you haven't!**

 **~FFF**


	47. Lifting Spirits

**I'm too tired for review replies**

 **take this oooooooooold request**

* * *

"Hey Lloyd?" Lloyd looked up from his book at the sound of his name, looking over his shoulder to see Morro approaching him from behind.

"Hi." The blond boy turned sideways in his chair, swinging his legs over one arm. "What's up?"

"Can I ask you about something?" The ghost looked a bit nervous, twisting his hands together repeatedly.

"Sure." Lloys sat up straight as Morro stopped in front of him.

"I… want to take Indigo… out on a date." He said haltingly, sounding a bit embarrassed. "But I don't really know how those work."

"Hmm." The green ninja put a hand on his chin. "I mean… I'm not the best person to ask about this, since I've never actually been on a date."

"I'm sure you know more than I do."

"True. Well, on a date, usually the couple go out to dinner at a restaurant, then go see a movie, or walk on the beach, or drive through the country, something like that."

"But we can't really go out in public. We're ghosts."

"Umm… good point." Lloyd tapped his finger on his chin. "I don't really have an answer for that. Except… wait." Grinning the blond boy looked up again. "I might know someone you could talk to about that."

"You were correct to, when faced with impossible offs, contact…" Dareth struck a pose. "… _the brown ninja._ "

"Are you sure this guy can help us?" Indigo hissed in Lloyd's direction. "He's weird."

"I know he is. But I do think he can help." Lloyd whispered back.

"…brown ninja is a master of all animal fighting styles…" Dareth continued, making exaggerated gestures as he walked in circles around the dojo. Lloyd had taken Morro and Indigo to the self-proclaimed Sensei Dareth/Brown Ninja's dojo, hoping he could do something to disguise him with his 'master of disguise kit'.

"Dareth?" Lloyd interrupted his rambling. "We don't need your ninja skills. Just your secrets of disguise."

"Ahh… you have come to see the master of disguise." The brown ninja ceased his wild gestures and began to make hypnotic – well, that's probably what it was supposed to be – movements instead. "Prepare to be amazed by-"

"Dareth?" The blond boy interrupted him. "Can we just get to the point?"

"Sure thing, green ninja." The older man straightened up. "Whaddaya need?"

"My friends, Morro and Indigo, want to go out on a date, but they're ghosts and they'll get attacked. Can you make them look human?"

"Um, sure thing, but…" Dareth frowned, looking Morro and Indigo over. "How old are you, little missy?"

"I'm 21." Indigo folded her arms, straightening up to her full height of 4'8. The brown ninja blinked.

"I see. And don't I know you from somewhere?" He asked, turning to Morro. The ghost boy shrugged, averting his eyes.

"I don't believe we've ever met." He answered casually, avoiding the question.

"Eh. All ghosts look alike. Okay, little lady, come with-"

"My name is Indigo." The void master interrupted.

"Alright. Indigo, come with me. I'll have you looking good as new in no time." The ghost girl cast one last suspicious look in Lloyd's direction, then followed the older man out of the room.

"You're sure about this." Morro asked again after a few moments.

"Yes. Dareth's a little eccentric, but he's trustworthy." Lloyd confirmed. The two waited a couple minutes before Indigo was lead back out, looking a bit uncomfortable in the evening dress and heels she was wearing.

"Do I look okay?" She asked uncertainly. She did – and very normal too. Her skin was chocolate brown, like it had been before she died, and for some reason her glow didn't show through.

"U-uh-" Lloyd turned to see Morro staring at Indigo with his mouth open slightly, seemingly at a loss for words.

"That means yes." The blond grinned, elbowing his brother to snap him out of it.

"Uh, yeah." Morro nodded.

"Alright, your turn, young man." Dareth waved him over, and the ghost boy followed him out of the room as Indigo picked her way across the room towards Lloyd.

"Why in Ninjago do people wear shoes like this?" She muttered as she stopped next to him.

"They're elegant." The blond shrugged. "Just step carefully and you'll be fine."

"Whatever." She managed to keep herself steady for a moment and looked up at him. "Do you think Morro thinks I look good?"

"Did you see how he was staring at you I'm pretty sure he fell more in love with you at the sight of you."

"Oh." She looked like she blushed a little at that, but he couldn't be sure.

"Does it feel weird? Whatever he did to your skin?"

"Not really. A bit… tingly?"

"Huh." The door on the other side of the room opened, and Dareth returned with Morro, who had pale skin and was dressed in a suit.

"Well this is… weird." He remarked as he went over to join them. "I haven't worn anything this fancy since I was a kid. I feel… confined." Indigo snorted.

"You think _you're_ confined. I can barely walk." She lifted one foot to show him the inch-tall heel, then promptly lost her balance and nearly fell on Lloyd, who caught her. "See? Just like that."

"Heh. I guess that's why couples hold hands." Morro grinned, stopping next to her and linking his arm through hers.

"The makeup will last until around midnight, so don't stay out too late, kids." Dareth warned them.

"I'm not a kid." Indigo narrowed her eyes at him.

"Whatever. Have a good evening! I have to get ready for my next class." Dareth gave them a wave, then strutted out of the room. "Brown ninja – out."

"I still think he's weird." Indigo spoke up after a few moments.

"It's okay. I do too." Lloyd shrugged. "Come on, we need to go back to the Monastery to pick up Jessica."

"Wait, why?" Indigo frowned in confusion.

"I figured as long as you two are doing out, we might as well make it a double date, hmm?"

"I guess." The ghost girl shrugged. "Morro, I'm gonna need to ride on your dragon. I don't think I can sit properly wearing… this."

"Heh. Yeah." The three headed back outside where Morro and Lloyd summoned their dragons and Indigo carefully climbed on behind her boyfriend, riding side saddle with both arms wrapped tightly around his chest. They took off just in time, as Lloyd was recognized and screaming fans ran at them as they made their ascent.

"We, uh… might need to find another mode of transportation." Lloyd called over to the other dragon. "Or at least I'm gonna recognized."

"We could take a bus." Morro called back.

"But then we'd have to walk all the way down to a bus stop." The blond shook his head. "No… I have a better idea."

LiftingSpirits

"That was a terrible idea." Indigo declared, stumbling off the motorcycle and grabbing Jessica's arm for support.

"Oh come on, that was fun." The brunette rolled her eyes.

" _You're_ not the one who has to sit _sideways_." Indigo shot back. Lloyd's brilliant idea was to have them ride motorcycles to the reseraunt, driven by him and Jessica since neither of the ghosts knew how to drive one. Despite Lloyd's assurance that Jessica would make it as painless an experience as possible for her, Indigo found the drive rather terrifying. "I felt like I was gonna fall off like six times."

"But you didn't, did you?" Jessica booped her nose, then quickly dodged when the ghost girl attempted to smack her. "Rude."

"Indigo, c'mon." Morro quickly stepped between then, linking his arm through his girlfriend's. "I kind of enjoyed the ride." He said as he lead her towards the restaurant.

"You got to see where you were going."

"You could have turned your head."

"Yes, but Jessica is taller than me, and heels do no good while I'm sitting down."

"Fair enough." The four entered the restaurant, a small, fancy-ish candlelit Chinese resturaunt. Not so casual that the ghosts would be overdsressed, but not so fancy that Lloyd and Jessica, in fairly casual clothing, would be underdressed. The two couples found tables opposite from each other, then, after a brief explaination of how restaurants worked from Lloyd, began to decide what to order. After about ten minutes of Morro reading things out loud to his girlfriend, they decided on the same thing and ordered.

"Now what?" Indigo called over to Lloyd and Jessica once the waitress had left.

"Now we wait while they make our food." The blond called back.

"Okay." Indigo turned back to Morro, drumming her fingers on the table. "Well this is kinda surreal."

"Isn't it?" Morro chuckled. "It's weird seeing you… human."

"Same to you. I mean, at least you met me while I was still alive. You were dead for forty years before I even met you." The void mistress smirked. "It's weirder for me."

"I'm sure it is. Are you getting used to the dress and shoes yet?"

"They're not as bothersome when I'm sitting down."

"That's good." They were both silent for a few minutes, and Indigo caught snatches of Lloyd and Jessica's conversation.

"…think they're pretty cute." Lloyd was saying.

"I think _you're_ pretty cute." Jessica shot back.

"Should I be flattered or offended?" Indigo was impressed that his face didn't turned red at the compliment, when a couple months ago he would've blushed when just speaking to her.

"Flattered."

"Then thank you." Morro was staring off into space and smirking, probably eavesdropping on their conversation as well. When the other couple lowered their voices so they could no longer be heard, the wind master blinked and looked back at her.

"Uh, here…" He reached into his jacket and pulled out a red rose. "Lloyd told me that flowers are usually exchanged on dates, so…" He held it out and she took it. "It's fake, since a real one would get crushed if I put it in my jacket, but… you get the idea."

"Yeah." She giggled, carefully touching one of the fabric petals. "It's pretty. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He smiled, then reached across the table and took it again. "Hang on." Now he tucked it into her hair over her ear. "There."

"Thanks. Does it look good? I can't exactly see it." She tilted her head at him.

"You look beautiful, with or without the flower."

"Aww. Thank you." Just then, their waitress approached with their food, and they sat back to let her set it down. After waiting for Lloyd and Jessica's food to arrive as well, the four said a quick prayer together , then began to eat.

LiftingSpirits

"This is nice." Indigo hung onto Morro's arm as they strolled through a park in the last light of dusk, staying just in sight of Lloyd and Jessica.

"Have you enjoyed yourself so far?" Her boyfriend asked.

"Except for the motorcycle rides, yeah."

"That's good." Morro was silent, then said, "Indigo… you know ghosts live forever, right?"

"Yeah." She frowned a bit. Of course she knew. What was he getting at?

"So you… can you imagine yourself spending eternity with one person? Romantically?" Ahh.

"Sure." She smiled a bit. "If I loved him enough."

"How do you define 'enough'?"

"Like how much I love you." There was stunned silence for a bit.

"I see." He said at last.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, n-no reason." He stared off into the distance, trying to look indifferent.

"You stuttered." She teased him.

"I did not." He lied, smirking a bit.

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"You two are literally six year olds!" Jessica yelled over.

"Uh… no we're not." Indigo frowned.

"It's a joke. You're being immature."

"But you said 'literally'."

"It's a figure of speech."

"But I thought…"

"Never mind. I'll explain later." Jessica waved her off. "Go kiss in the moonlight or something." Morro started chuckling, and Indigo gave him a confused look.

"I feel like she's trying to get rid of us so she and Lloyd can do that exact thing." He explained.

"Ohh. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me."

"If Lloyd can work up the nerve, that is."

"He seemed pretty chill during dinner."

"True." Covering her hand on his arm with his, Morro lead her down behind a couple trees. "Might as well let them, hmm?"

"Yeah, let's do that." Indigo turned to look at the remains of the sunset, leaning her head on his shoulder. They were both silent for a few minutes. Finally, Morro asked,

"Wanna kiss in the moonlight?"

"…sure."

* * *

 **how do you end a oneshot**

 **~FFF**


	48. Haunting Part 3

**At long last: Lloyd vs the Zombie Apocalypse**

 **Review replies:**

 **NinjagoMLP: Glad you liked it!**

 **Monile: Thank you!**

 **Windy: He has some practice right now. And I honestly wouldn't be shocked if Kai was coaching him some...**

 **Cuttlefishculler: No.**

 **Guest 1: No.**

 **Guest 2: No.**

 **XxVallirenxX: Thank you! And yeah, shipping them would be just wrong. Which is why I despise the ship. Rant all you want, I do it all the time. :)**

 **4nn4: Here you go! Sorry, this has been in the works for a while but I was trying to update TDR on a regular basis.**

 **Little disappointed the last chapter got so few reviews. Oh well.**

* * *

"Pythor?" Lloyd exclaimed in shock. "What are _you_ doing here? In a haunted house, of all places!"

"I'm here because you are, old chum." The serpentine purred, slithering forward another foot.

"But – uh – why?"

"To settle a score, of course. You remember what I said the last time we saw each other, don't you?" The snake raised an eyebrow – or well, the equivalent of it. "That if anyone was going to take over Ninjago, it should be me? Do you really think I've given up on my plan for world conquest?"

"Uh, I was kinda hoping you would." The blond took a step back, and Morro's grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Unfortunately for you, you're not so lucky." Pythor grinned, his fangs glinting in the dim light.

"So, what's your deal? What do you want with us?" The green ninja asked, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Why, to destroy you, of course! Or at least capture you. Conquering a world always starts with the elimination of its protectors." He cast a disdainful look at Morro. "I suppose I'll have to get rid of your nursemaid first."

"He's not my nursemaid!" Lloyd snapped, his face burning slightly. "And don't count on it! We'll beat you easily!"

"Not when you're in my element." The snake man smirked. "I took control of the house from your friend. I control everything. I won't let you escape. I'm going to separate you, then kill or capture you. Either works, though frankly I'd rather take you captive. That way I can watch you bawl your eyes out while you watch me take over your world." Pythor gave Lloyd a cruel grin, and the blond boy shuddered.

"You won't win." He growled. "Even if you control our environment, we can still beat you. We'll lock you up, then bust out of here!"

"Hmm. Good luck with that." Abruptly, all the lights went out, and the room was plunged into darkness. Instantly, Lloyd charged an orb of light, but Pythor was gone.

"Crap." The blond muttered. "What do you think he can do? He can definitely use the trap doors to separate us, but not much else."

"He might be able to use the zombie as a weapon. It's a robot, right?"

"I think so."

"So it can club us with its arms. We'll have to watch out for that.

"What do we do? Try to follow him, hunt him down, or hole up somewhere?" Lloyd asked, glancing around the silent room.

"I think it's best to stay somewhere. He could just look at where we are and avoid us."

"Good point. Does here work?"

"I think so. It would be nice if we could find some rope or something, to tie ourselves together so we couldn't get separated, but I haven't seen any."

"We'll just have to hold onto each other, I guess." Lloyd grabbed his hand with his free one, and Morro gave him a squeeze.

"Let's get the doors closed, so no one can sneak up on us." The ghost instructed, and the blond nodded, letting his brother lead him around the room to each door and watching him close them as he held up the orb of light. Once he was finished, they backed into a corner together, sitting down and holding tight to each other's hands. For a while, nothing happened. Finally, Lloyd heard a footstep. Then another, and another. They were getting closer.

"Morro?" he whispered nervously.

"We can fight it off, whatever it is." Morro murmured in reply. Lloyd nodded, squeezing his hand tighter. The doorknob rattled, then turned, the door opening and fog pouring into the room. Great. A moment later, the zombie stepped into the room, eyes locking on the pair in the corner. A moment later, to Lloyd's shock, another zombie followed it in. Then another. And another.

"Uh oh." Lloyd whispered. "H-how many of them are there?"

"Not sure." Morro stood, pulling Lloyd up with him, as the zombies advanced towards them. "Throw some energy at them." Lloyd obeyed, charging an orb of energy and flinging it at the oncoming horde. The ones it hit flew back, slamming into the others and knocking almost all of them to the ground. "That worked well." The ghost remarked. Lloyd chuckled weakly.

"Yeah." Unfortunately, the creatures just got right back up. "Ho boy."

"We've gotta hold them off. Kai will get us out eventually." Morro stepped in front of him, throwing all the robots back. "Not hard."

"Yeah, but, they just keep coming!" Lloyd slammed them back against the back wall. "And they don't get tired, but we will!"

"Maybe we can disable them." Morro pushed them back again, slamming them as hard as he could against the wall in a crash of machinery. The lights in one's eyes went out, but they relit a moment later as the others got up. "Great. Let's just… focus on holding them back. We can take turns, and the other can rest in between. I'll go first." Lloyd nodded, sinking to his knees in the corner.

This went on for a long time. The zombies, of course, did not tire, and never stopped coming. Morro accidently let one too close and it took a swing at him, and he and Lloyd were both shocked to see that it hit him. Deepstone – or vengestone. Either way, not good. After about an hour, Lloyd didn't think he could go on much longer.

Then Morro dropped into the floor.

Lloyd whirled around, orb of energy he had been about to throw frozen in his hand, just in time to see Morro disappear. Oh no. Not again. A cold hand grabbed his arm, and he spun to see one of the zombies gripping his forearm. Instantly, he expanded the orb to create a shield around him, pushing it back. Morro was gone. Pythor would know where he was, he would get him and lock him up, just like he threatened to. He might hurt him…

Turning back to the zombies, Lloyd expanded his shield further, shoving them all against the walls. He couldn't do this with Morro here, but now… He kept pushing. Sparks flew from the creatures as they were crushed, some emitting dying screams. Finally, the wave of power went through them, the mangled machines falling into heaps on the ground.

Lloyd dropped to one knee, panting. That was hard. He hadn't used that much power in a long time, and he was already tired. After a minute, he straightened up again, not bothering to light another light as he strode through the room. He opened the door, gutting the zombie that waited outside without a second thought. He didn't have the luxury of being afraid. Not now. Not with Morro at stake.

Pythor was going to pay.

Haunting

"It's not going to work." Morro insisted, struggling a bit in his bonds. "Lloyd's not going to leave that room. He'll be too scared."

"Oh really? His fondness for you is no secret. And even if he does stay, my robots will eventually overpower him." Pythor smirked. "Either way, I win."

"Even if you do manage to capture him, it's still you and some cheap robots against all of Ninjago." Morro moved to fold his arms, but soon remember that his wrists were chained to the wall.

"Oh, I have other plans." Pythor smirked, then turned back to his monitors. Then he frowned. "Hmm. How odd."

"Huh?" Morro leaned to the side to see that half of the cameras had gone out. As he watched, one exploded in a flash of green light and stopped responding. Lloyd!

"Hmph. It appears the brat isn't as cowardly as you thought." Pythor side-eyed his prisoner. "Now shut up. You're only bait."

"I'm a _person_. And Lloyd's my friend, I won't shut up."

"Oh really?" The snake man held up a spray bottle filled with water, like what one would use to punish a naughty cat. "This is for you if you insist on being annoying." Morro shut up, but gave him a dirty look as soon as his back was turned. Now all but one of the cameras were out. As Morro watched, a dark figure appeared in the hallway. A flash of green lit up the screen, then there was nothing. The ghost snickered, and Pythor spun around to glare at him. "I said shut up!" He hissed, brandishing the spray bottle.

It was at that moment that the door slammed open.

"Did you just go around slamming open every door you came across in the hopes of making a dramatic entrance?" Pythor asked, raising an eyebrow as Lloyd stalked into the room.

"No. I just heard you yelling at Morro." The blond began to approach, but the serpentine held up the spray bottle threateningly.

"Try it, and I'll give your friend a slow and painful death." The pale snake smirked. "Your call, green ninja." Lloyd met Morro's eyes. There was no fear in the blond's expression, only rage. Almost imperceptivity, Morro shook his head. He was a ghost, he could always come back. Stop Pythor. Straightening up, Lloyd turned towards his adversary, hanging his head a bit. A sign of surrender. Before Morro could open his mouth to tell him to stop, though, Lloyd leapt forward and tackled the snake to the ground, grabbing the bottle and throwing it across the room.

"You dirty traitor!" he snapped, punching the serpentine in his long neck. "You're despicable! Capturing people and threatening to torture them if their friend – who, by the way, you _trapped_ in a in a _room_ full of _zombies_ – doesn't give themselves up! Disgusting!" Pythor choked as Lloyd punched him again, flailing on the ground like a beached whale. Suddenly, his tail wrapped around Lloyd's middle, lifting him up and off of him. "Wh- hey!" Lloyd exclaimed as Pythor sat up, holding him at arm's length.

"Hmm. That was almost too easy." The blond tried to squirm free, but Pythor tightened his grip. "Ah-ah-ah, let's not have any of that." The snake slithered over to another set of cuffs on the wall, snapping the struggling teenager into them. As Pythor moved away, Lloyd shot a helpless glance at Morro. Now what?

"Now, first things first." The serpentine retrieved the spray bottle, turning to Morro. "To kill you."

"What? No!" Lloyd exclaimed. "You said- you said if I-"

"Gave yourself up I wouldn't kill him? Well, two things: You didn't give yourself up. You attacked me. Secondly, I never actually said I would spare him in exchange for you. I only said that if you _didn't_ surrender I _would_ kill him." The snake grinned. "So unfortunate when there are miscommunications in business deals."

"'Buisness'?! You're going to murder him!"

"Lloyd, it's okay." Morro spoke up. Pythor was making a bad move in killing him. He could just come back.

"Yes, calm down, brat. And you, ghost. Don't get your hopes up about returning. I have contacts in the Cursed Realm who will ensure you have an… extended stay." Morro's blood ran cold. Oh. "Well, say goodbye!" Pythor raise the bottle, and Morro flinched away, bracing himself.

Then the wall exploded.

Morro's eyes flew open in shock as the room filled with smoke, just in time to see Pythor vanish before his eyes. The next thing he knew, he heard shouts, and another figure appeared in front of him. Kai.

"Are you both alright?" The fire ninja asked in concern.

"Um… define 'alright'." Lloyd mumbled, shaking his head.

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Good." Kai glanced around, then grabbed a set of keys off a table. "Let's get you two home.

* * *

 **Lloyd: 1. Zombies: 0.**

 **This is not the end. I'll write an epilogue one of these days (feat. more fluff) and probably a nightmare oneshot to follow up. But I hope you enjoyed this update!**

 **~FFF**


	49. Haunting Epilogue

**I had this written yesterday but I forgot it existed until last night lol**

 **Review replies:**

 **Monile: Okay! Have fun!**

 **Nicktastic: Too bad Pythor wasn't present during Lloyd's last lesson about what happens when you mess with Morro.**

 **EMObill: Pythor is annoying. He won't change, and he's as slippery as... well... a snake. It's nearly impossible to catch him.**

 **Windy: While that does sound awesome, it will probably take about three years to write as I have trouble writing things with characters getting embarrassed. ^ ^' I love nightmare oneshots. Even though I probably have like 10 of them now and they're getting repetitive. Oh well, I'll make it work.**

* * *

Morro sat in the back of Kai's car, Lloyd fast asleep in the seat next to him. Jay was riding shotgun, chatting quietly with the driver, Kai. Lloyd had fallen asleep almost immediately as they started the drive home, his head on Morro's shoulder as he slept peacefully. Well, at least, Morro hoped it was peaceful. It was a short, quiet drive back to the Monastery, and Morro shook Lloyd awake upon their arrival. The blond quietly followed the others inside, looking worn out.

When they entered the monastery, the first thing that happened was Lloyd's father pulling him into a hug. That made Lloyd smile, despite his exhaustion.

"I'm sorry guys." Kai said quietly as Garmadon pulled away. "Sorry I got you into that."

"It's okay." The blond replied just as quietly. "You couldn't know Pythor was there."

"Yeah, but putting you up to that was still mean. I knew you couldn't handle it, even if you didn't." The red ninja paused. "If it helps, you lasted longer than I thought." Lloyd cracked a faint smile.

"Good to see you believe in me. Now… I'm exhausted." The green ninja started to turn in the direction of his room, but stopped. "Of course, I won't be able to sleep without nightmares." He cast a glance at Morro, who quickly straightened up.

"I'll come with you." He offered, and Lloyd gave him a relieved smile.

"Thanks." The ghost accompanied the human boy up to his room, where they climbed into his bed and Lloyd promptly fell asleep. He _was_ tired. Hopefully Morro's presence would keep any nightmares at bay. Tucking his chin into Lloyd's shoulder, Morro soon drifted off to sleep as well.

Haunted

"The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout…" Tori sang casually, walking her fingers after the tiny spider that was attempting to flee. "Out came the rain and made the spider drown…" She caught it between her fingers, lifting it up as it flailed wildly. "Out came the sun and dried up its remains and…" She crushed it. "The itsy-bitsy-spider was never seen again."

"How morbid." Tori glanced up at the unfamiliar voice, looking over her shoulder to see a tall serpentine general standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hello mr. snake man." He greeted him. "Filling in for Mothman tonight?"

"What?"

"Oh, my door's open. Mothman never did that. Well, I'm going to take advantage of this. Toodles!" Tori hopped to her feet, trying to slip past him into the hall. Unfortunately, mr. snake man caught her arm before she could make it out.

"Now, hold on just a moment. I am releasing you, but I think we can help each other." The stranger released her arm as she ceased her struggles, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. My name is Pythor." The pale snake straightened up, looking down at her condescendingly. Tori blinked.

"Nice to meet you."

"Charmed. Now, I am in need of a green ninja detained. You are, as I understand it, looking for a green ninja in the form of a boyfriend." The blond raised her other eyebrow. Now she was interested.

"It appears we can help each other." She put one hand on her hip. "Let's make a deal."

* * *

 **I'm sorry did you think it was _over_**

 **for the guest who requested a oneshot about the Preeminent bothering Morro 2: It's in the works! I'll try to post it soon.**

 **~FFF**


	50. Taunts in the Night

***lenny face*  
**

 **Review replies:**

 **Monile: OH YES THEY CAN**

 **Nicktastic: lmao yes**

 **Windy: XD Yes. My siblings came up with that. Sure, I can pray for you!**

* * *

 _"You are a fool."_ Morro gasped, jerked from his sleep by a cold voice. No. The preeminent.

"L-leave me alone." He stammered into the darkness.

 _"No."_ Came the flat response. _"Take your punishment like a man."_

"I'm not even a man! I'm 14!"

 _"No, you're 63."_

"I don't care."

 _"Neither do I. That's not why I'm talking to you. I'm here about your pathetic escape attempt."_ So she was here to mock him.

"Then get on with it." He muttered crossly, lowering his head onto his arms.

 _"First of all, you were a fool to think that could possibly work."_ He flinched a bit. Even though he knew it was coming, it still hurt. _"Even if you did pull it off, I would only lock you up in Soul Archer's place. I can see your thoughts, foolish boy. I know you do not care about me or the Cursed Realm. All you care about is yourself. All you want is your title back."_

"I thought I was a man, not a boy." Morro muttered. "Make up your mind."

 _"You are whatever I want you to be."_ The Preeminent snapped. _"No matter where you are, you are a ghost. I own you. Even rejected, you still belong to me."_

"No." The injured ghost hissed. "I don't belong to you. I never did."

 _"Oh really? Even when you ruled the world, and you obeyed my every order without question for fear of being replaced?"_ Morro hesitated. _"Yes. You were definitely my slave then."_

"Well… maybe I was. But you can't make me do anything now."

 _"Ah, but I can torment you."_ Morro snorted.

"You can annoy me. I can annoy the ninja, are they my slaves? No, I'm locked in a cell."

 _"Can you do this?"_ A searing pain shot through the g host boy's head, and he opened his mouth to scream, but he couldn't, the air vanished from his lungs. He couldn't take a breath, he was suffocating. After a few, horrible seconds of this, the pain faded away and she allowed him to breathe, a sadistic laugh sounding in his head as he gasped for breath. He hated her laugh. Anything that amused her must be horrible. _"I control you, pathetic whelp. Defying me is like defying the sun: It won't change anything. The only difference is that the sun won't punish you for your stupidity."_

"I'm not s-stupid." Morro stammered, still struggling to breathe. "I'm clever and brave. I earned m-my title. I won you the universe!"

 _"I facilitated your victory. You're nothing but a reckless and idealistic fool."_

"I-"

 _"And here you will rot, locked in this cell. You have no friends in this world. No one to help you. Not after what you've done."_

"That's not-"

 _"It is true."_ She interrupted again. _"You spent your time as king murdering, destroying, raping, and conquering. You are the most hated creature in the world."_

"Lloyd- Lloyd doesn't hate me." The ghost boy tried once more. "He said so." The Preeminent scoffed.

 _"And you believe him? You're more desperate than I thought. All the green ninja wants is to lull you into a false sense of security so he can stab you in the back. You think he's above that? Not after what you did to him."_

"But…" Morro trailed off.

 _"Your life – well, your undeath – is over. You will be locked in this cell for eternity, and you will never be anything more than a prisoner."_

"No!" Morro snapped, but his voice faltered. "You're lying!

 _"Why would I lie? The truth works just as well."_

"But-"

 _"You know that what I'm saying is true. You know you will be locked up here forever. You think you can trick yourself into thinking otherwise, but you know in your heart that this is your fate."_

"But-!"

 _"Do not argue with me!"_ The Preeminent thundered, sending pain stabbing through him again. _"I see your deepest thoughts! I know you know the truth!"_

"But Lloyd's not l-like that!" Morro blurted, his voice breaking. "H-he's a good person! He won't hurt me like – like you do!"

 _"Yes. He is a good person. Unlike you."_ She sounded amused. _"You are a horrible, vile creature who deserves nothing but suffering. You think you were justified in possessing him because he took your title? I don't think so. You were horrible and cruel too him, why would he ever be good to you?"_

"Because- because he's s-so much better than me!" The ghost choked out past the lump in his throat. "He f-forgave his Morro, why not me?"

 _"Because you've done worse."_

"But-"

 _"Pathetic!"_ She interrupted. _"Weak! Are you really so desperate for attention that you would seek it from your greatest enemy? Coward!"_ Morro let out a sob, curling up a bit.

"S-stop…"

 _"Useless! Worthless! Foolish!"_

"Stop…" he begged through his tears. "S-stop it…"

 _"Cowardly! Stupid! Pathetic!"_

"STOP IT!" He screamed, covering his ears with his hands despite the pain that shot through them. It didn't help. She was inside his head.

 _"Spineless, needy child. I should have gotten rid of you long ago. You are by no means fit to rule."_ Morro broke down into sobs, pressing his hands to his hairs as hard as he could to block out the voice. _"Idiot."_ Finally, her presence faded away. Shaking with sobs, the ghost let himself go limp, no longer hunched into himself. She was right. She was right. He was terrible, and foolish, and pathetic, and cowardly, and worthless… Miserable, Morro crawled into a corner of his cell, not stopping despite the pain from his wounds. He deserved it. Curling up in the corner of the cold cell, the ghost boy rested his head on his arms and cried himself to sleep.

* * *

 ***lenny face intensifies***

 **~FFF**


	51. Hatred

**Oh look i haven't updated in days bUT I HAVE AN EXCUSE**

 ***whispers* I had a test**

 **BUT I ACED IT SO IT'S COOL :thumbs up emoji:**

 **Review replies:**

 **Nicktastic: Poor bab needs some love.**

 **Monile: I have a high key hatred of the Preeminent due to some RPs with a girl on tumblr. :)**

 **Guest: Here you go!**

* * *

Lloyd flipped boredly through a book, not really focusing on what was on the pages. As much as he knew it was a terrible idea for him to try to fight with his broken leg, he still didn't like having to stay behind. At least he didn't have to face Morro. He would probably do something foolish, like charge at him mindlessly in an attempt to get revenge. Which, of course, wouldn't work. Even if he did kill him, the ghost would just reappear. And Lloyd would likely trip and break more bones. Overall, him and Morro being in close proximity was a very bad thing.

Unfortunately, the ghost in question was marched through the door not two minutes later.

"You!" Lloyd exclaimed as the tyrant came into view, shooting to his feet. Unfortunately, his broken leg protested, and he was forced to sink back down onto the couch.

"Yes. Me." Morro raised an eyebrow, giving him a mocking smirk.

"He's a prisoner, Lloyd." Kai A said, holding onto the chained ghost's arm. "He tried to possess the other you, but he was beaten." The smirk turned into a scowl.

"Oh well. I'll get out soon enough." The tyrant shrugged casually. "Then I'll be free to finish off your other leg." He nodded towards Lloyd, the smirk returning. Lloyd narrowed his eyes, getting to his feet again and grabbing his crutches. Morro looked very pleased with himself as the blond hobbled towards him, enraging Lloyd further. He stopped in front of the captive ghost, hate-filled eyes locked onto Morro's mocking ones.

"I could kill you in an instant." He said bluntly.

"Lloyd, no!" Jay A quickly interrupted. "That's what he wants. So he can go back to the Cursed Realm."

"Hmph." Lloyd leaned on one of his crutches, staring down at his prosthetic leg for a moment. After a second, he let go of the other, reaching up and poking Morro in the cheek. He was corporeal. Good. Morro frowned.

"What are you-" He was cut off by Lloyd punching him in the face for all he was worth. The ghost let out a grunt of pain as his head snapped back, the others exclaiming in shock. None of them rebuked or reprimanded him for hitting him. Jerking one hand out of Kai B's grasp, the tyrant gingerly touched his face, features scrunched up in pain. Lloyd smirked. It felt good to cause him pain after all he'd done. Morro's eyes met his again, and his face darkened for a moment.

Then, before anyone could react, Morro yanked his other hand free, then swung around to punch Lloyd right back. The blond tried to duck, but he moved too slowly, and the ghost's fist caught him right in the nose. The green ninja toppled backwards, crashing to the ground as he felt blood rushing to his nose. He heard Morro begin to laugh, then yelp in pain as someone struck him. He heard another thud before one of the Coles yelled,

"Alright, cut it out! Lock him up! There's no point in having a fistfight with him!" Lloyd blinked his eyes open, pushing himself up into a sitting position as Morro was dragged away. His nose was bleeding.

"Are you okay?" Kai A asked, kneeling beside him. Lloyd nodded, pressing his sleeve to his face.

"Except for the bloody nose, yeah."

"Let me get a cloth for that." Lloyd nodded again, watching him stand up and hurry away. On the outside, the blond was calm, but on the inside, he was fuming. Morro had given him a bloody nose while the tyrant was their prisoner. Even in his weakness, he still managed to hurt him. Struggling to his feet, Lloyd limped back to the couch and sat down again. This time, the tables were turned. Morro was his prisoner. Somehow, for him, his family, and his world, Lloyd would get revenge.

* * *

 **Should you be concerned about Lloyd 2 doing something drastic to Morro 2 even though he's now reformed? Yes. Yes you should.**

 **I only had the time to write something short after studying for an hour last night when I would usually write lol**

 **~FFF**


	52. Forgiveness

**So I actually would have had this posted** ** _two days ago_** **but my** ** _dad_** **wouldn't let me** ** _on the computer_**

 **sigh**

 **Review replies (as few as they may be):**

 **Guest: I'm glad you enjoyed it! And here it is!**

 **Guest 2: :)**

 **Windy: :))**

 **Nicktastic: Be concerned.  
**

 **enjoy a small murder boy being sad**

* * *

Forgiveness

Betrayal. _That_ was the emotion that Andreea felt so strongly.

The brunette stood silently outside the meeting room, watching as Lloyd B brought Morro A a glass of water. The wind master struggled to take a drink, hands shaking too much for him to easily lift the glass to his mouth. Whether it was from shock, fear, or blood loss, she didn't know, but she knew what the cause of it was. Lloyd, her boyfriend.

When she found him last night, he was standing silently in a hallway, bloody knife clutched in one hand. He didn't answer he when she spoke to him, and she was too afraid to approach him for fear that he would attack her. She had to wait for backup, Garmadon B coming and disarming him so the others could take him away. He hadn't fought back, or even spoken the entire time, not even when they took his leg. He just stared blankly ahead. It was so eerie.

She had to go see him. If he would take to her, she would demand to know why. He was the _green ninja!_ He shouldn't do things like that! Fuming, Andreea headed off down the hall towards Lloyd's room. She needed some answers.

The two Kais were standing guard, but they moved aside to let her pass and she opened the door. Inside, Lloyd was sitting silently on his bed, but he looked up when she entered. At least he wasn't as unresponsive as last night. He met her eyes, then quickly looked away. He almost looked sad. And unless she was mistaken, there were tear tracks on his face. Was he regretful? Even if he was, what good would it do? Being sorry wouldn't bring Morro's fingers back. Silently, she closed the door behind her and stepped forward, standing at the foot of his bed.

"Why?" She asked quietly. "Why did you do it, Lloyd?" The blond turned towards her, but didn't answer. "You're supposed to be better than that. You're the green ninja." Her hands balled into fists at her sides. "You're supposed to help the defenseless, not attack them in their sleep! Why?! The Lloyd I know wouldn't do this!

"The Lloyd I know wouldn't hurt someone, no matter how much they hurt them!" Her voice was steadily rising. "The Lloyd I know would forgive him! _Why?!_ " She shouted the last word, and Lloyd flinched. He was silent for a few moments as she clenched both fists tight, then finally he spoke.

"I was an idiot." He whispered. "I _am_ an idiot." That quelled her anger a bit. She had expected excuses. "I was so angry, so consumed with hate for him… I told myself he deserved it. I told myself he wasn't… wasn't a person. He wasn't someone worthy of protection.

"But when I did it, when I hurt him, I saw him bleed, saw him cry… I realized he was just as human as me. He was a person worthy of protection. Then I realized that… that I'm the bad guy now." His voice cracked. "I-I realized that… that not only did I hurt someone badly who didn't deserve it, but… I put my relationships with everyone I love in jeopardy. None of you trust me now, and I… I don't deserve your trust." He covered his face with his hands as he let out a sob.

"I d-didn't realize I c-could lose my brothers, my father… I c-could lose y-you… I-I'm sorry…" He gave up on talking, sobbing into his hands. Despite how mad she had been at him, she found herself feeling sorry for him. He seemed genuinely regretful for what he had done.

For a moment, she wondered if he might be faking the tears to get her pity, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Lloyd was an absolutely terrible liar. There was no way he could fake this. Slowly, she moved around next to his bed and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around him. He jumped, lowering his hands from his face and looking up at her in surprise.

"I forgive you." She murmured.

"But- but I-"

"I know you messed up, but everyone does. Morro did much worse than you, and I've forgiven him. You betrayed our trust, but you can earn it again. Just apologize to them." He nodded a bit, then wrapped his arms around her neck, pressed his forehead against her shoulder. He looked so sad. He really was sorry, and not just because he was in trouble. He regretted hurting Morro. They hugged for a few minutes, neither one saying a word, before the blond spoke up again.

"When… when you leave…" he hesitated. "Can you tell him I'm sorry?" She frowned a bit, but nodded.

"Yeah."

"I don't… I don't think he wants to be anywhere near me. Not after least night." Lloyd shook his head a bit.

"Me either. Here, I'll go tell him now, then come right back, alright?" He sighed, but nodded, pulling away. He didn't let go of her yet, though, and hesitated for a moment before leaning forward and kissing her on the lips. He pulled away before she could kiss back, letting go of her and leaning back against the headboard. The brunette stood up again and moved to leave, but stopped when Lloyd said her name.

"Andreea?" She turned back to look at him. "I love you." She smiled a bit. Even if he was a halfway-murderous idiot sometimes…

"I love you too."

* * *

 **so funny story**

 **I started playing pathfinder recently (which is like D &D) and my character is neutral evil, and part of the storyline I have planned for her is that every town the main group (which are mostly good) they visit she attacks people but they never figure it out, and one of her weird quirks is that when she kills people she cuts off their fingertips and adds them to her collection**

 **whenever I think about it I start cackling because CUTTING OFF FINGERS**

 **~FFF**


	53. Hostage

**YEET I finally finished this**

 **Review replies:**

 **KittyPaws: Which Morro? Morro 1 loves cookies, not sure if Morro 2 knows/remembers what they taste like... and thank you! Glad you're enjoying them! :D**

 **KitKat: Oh yeah he does. And yay!**

 **Guest: It's totally logical that Lloyd did what he did, but obviously it still wasn't okay. He had a reason, but it's not an excuse. And Morro 2 really hasn't apologized to more than a few people yet. He will apologize to everyone in the main story soon. (I'm assuming those reviews were from the same guest lol)**

 **Bob: Hi! It's been a while! Yep, still writing Ninjago, and I hope to for a while longer. xD**

 **Samantha: :)**

 **Didn't have time to proofread this but I hope there were no dumb mistakes :)**

* * *

Nadakhan was torn.

The djinn prince was not a good man. He had never been one. He was rebellious, reckless, manipulative, and irresponsible. As a consequence, he had gotten himself trapped in a magic teapot. Sitting there for hundreds of years had given him plenty of time to think about his actions, and he felt rather remorseful by the time he had been released. However, the promises of power and glory from the Overlord had quickly enticed him back to his old ways, years of deciding he had been an idiot forgotten.

But… when he helped the green ninja and his friend escape, he felt… good. Better than any riches or glory ever made him feel. Could it be that he was doing the wrong thing? That he was on the wrong side? The way the ninja operated was so different than how the Overlord did. They trusted each other, relied on each other. The Overlord ruled by fear.

Though he usually chose to ignore it, Nadakhan did have a conscience, and it told him his choice was clear: he should switch to the ninja's side. So that's what he would do.

Nadakhan left the room allotted him by the Overlord, floating towards the command deck. He had to get the teapot, it was basically his only possession. He could have teleported in, grabbed it, and teleported out, but he wanted to make the Overlord mad. So he would draw it out.

Nadakhan slammed open the door to the command deck, getting Chen, the Overlord, and his ghost general's attention as he swept across the room towards the golden teapot, which sat on the table in the center.

"Nadakhan, what are you doing?" The Overlord asked bluntly.

"I'm leaving." Nadakhan picked up the teapot. "I want no part in this foolish scheme anymore, it's doomed to fail anyway. I'm going to go help the ninja." He turned to the evil creature with a smirk, but his smug expression vanished when he saw his former master was chuckling.

"No you're not." The Overlord said, smiling as he shook his head.

"And why not?"

"I'll show you." The demon beckoned him closer, and the djinn hovered a couple of feet towards him as he pressed a few buttons on the control panel in front of him. "Now this," The Overlord said as a loading symbol appeared. "Is a live video feed of the most secure cell in the dungeon. It's a couple hundred feet underground, and it's lined with vengestone and three feet of steel. It requires two different passcodes to enter, and a radiation suit if you don't want to die instantly from the Tiger Widow venom gas." Tiger Widow…?

"It has room for up to six occupants, but it currently only holds one. And that prisoner is…" As the Overlord trailed off, the video finally loaded, and a dark room filled with light, green mist appeared on the screen. In the center of the room, an unconscious figure knelt slumped on the ground, held up by the chains on his wrists that held his arms out to either side. Nadakhan floated closer, frowning. The person seemed familiar, but the room was so dark, he couldn't make our their face…

Then it clicked, and his eyes widened in shock as he recognized a man he hadn't seen in hundreds of years.

"Father!" He exclaimed, teleporting the remaining few feet and pressing his hands against the screen. The Overlord chuckled.

"Yes, your father. It's been hundreds of years, but you still care about him, don't you?" Nadakhan just started at the screen, two of his hands still pressed up against the glass. The Overlord was right. The last time he had seen his father… they had been fighting, his father insisting he take responsibility for his princely duties, but Nadakhan refusing and leaving the Realm to be a pirate instead. A few years after that, he had been imprisoned. After staring at the screen for a few moments longer, the djinn prince managed,

"H… how? How did you…"

"It only took a little bit of torture to get the secret of your imprisonment out of Captain Soto." The Overlord replied, sounding overly casual. "Then all it took was a little bit of Tiger Widow venom and Traveler's Tea, and my ghosts simply walked into your home Realm and kidnapped him. He's been down there for the past week. And if you leave, we kill him." Nadakhan looked up at the Overlord in horror.

"You… you can't! Our realm would be thrown into chaos!"

"Do you think I care?" The dark lord rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to do to Ninjago, you idiot. Now…" He pressed a button, and the screen went black. "You _will_ serve me. When I win, I will let him go. Until then, he remains my prisoner. One false step on your part, and he dies. Am I clear?" Slowly, Nadakhan straightened up.

"Yes… Master. He muttered, bowing his head.

"Good. Now get back to your room until I call for you." Silently the djinn obeyed, leaving the room and floating back towards his own. He was helpless. Trapped. There was no way he could rescue his father, and he didn't dare leave him to die. He would just have to bide his time, and wait for the fighting to end.

Wait for the Overlord to win.

* * *

 **I feel kinda sorry for him. Good thing we already know how this ends.**

 **~FFF**


	54. Old Friends

**Well this only took like an entire week to write.**

 **Ha.**

 **No real point in doing review replies, it's been so long no one will remember what they reviewed lol. Except MadilynJC... not sure if this was quite what you had in mind, but, here you go!**

* * *

Old Friends

A woman in a dark hood stalked down the alley, her heels clicking on the cobblestones. Her face unreadable in the shadows, she glanced down to examine a scrap of paper she held clutched in her hand. She was almost there.

Ten more steps down the dim alleyway and she had arrived. Looking up, her eyes skimmed the sign that hung above the door- 'Ronin's Odds & Ends Pawn Shop'. More like black market. With a sigh, she pushed open the door, hearing a bell above her announce her arrival with a soft ringing.

"Welcome to Ronin's Odds & Ends." A voice called, and she glanced to her right to see a scruffy-looking man in a pink, straw hat leaning against the counter with a cash register on it. "Always good to see a valued customer. Looking for anything in particular?"

"Yes." She muttered under her breath. "An old friend."

"Old friend?" The man echoed, coming out from behind the counter. "Not sure if I can help you with that, miss. I'm a junk dealer, not a bloodhound."

"No, you've already helped immensely." The woman turned towards him, lowering her hood and raising her head. The man frowned, squinting his one eye in the darkness. Then it widened, and he took a step back.

" _Tara?_ "

"Ronin." She hissed in reply, yanking a knife with a black blade from beneath her cloak. "It's been ten years. I'm almost surprised you still recognize me."

"How could I forget my first love?" Ronin backed away, arms spread in an inviting gesture.

"Don't start that with me. You never loved me." Tara snapped, lowering herself into a fighting position.

"Of course I did." The mercenary edged back behind the counter, a casual grin on his face. Whether it was to placate her or infuriate her, she wasn't sure. It didn't matter. "I suppose it's too much to hope that you're not here to kill me?"

"Far too much."

"Then let's get on with it." Jumping onto the counter, Ronin reached into a panel in the ceiling and pulled out a sword. She immediately noted that that gave her a disadvantage at this range, since it was far longer than her short knife. Noticing her hesitation, Ronin grinned wider, looking down the blade at her. He had a height and a range advantage, he assumed he would have an easy win.

Rookie mistake.

Tara struck, launching herself forward and rolling underneath the counter, coming up on the other side and slashing at his legs. He saw her move coming, however, and leapt off the counter to where she had been standing moments before.

"It's been a long time, Tara." He remarked as she vaulted over the counter, blocking her strike with the flat of his blade. "Why come and kill me now?"

"You're a hard man to find." She ducked under his return strike, twisting to slice at his leg. The tip of her blade made contact, and Ronin yelped, jumping back.

"I suppose I haven't made it easy." He struck at her again, but with her smaller, lighter weapon, she dodged easily. "You've made quite a name for yourself."

"Are you referring to my involvement with the ninja, or my career as an assassin?"

"The latter." He ducked behind a wooden hat rack to block her knife, which sunk into the wood and required a firm tug to free.

"I've given that up. I've changed." She struck again, but he ducked beneath her knife.

"Then why kill me?" Ronin raised his remaining eyebrow, slipping a throwing star from a hidden pocket and throwing it at her. She jerked to the side, dodging it.

"You are the last loose end I have to tie up." She yanked the star from a beam it had lodged itself in, throwing it back at him. Whipping off his hat, he blocked it.

"Can't you just forgive and forget? Or at least forget?"

"No." She struck again and again, forcing him back against the wall. "Not after what you did."

"Come on, Tara." He grunted as the force of her blows pressed him back against the wall. "What was it I did that made you so mad at me?"

"You left me for another woman!" She snapped, stabbing her knife through his sleeve and into the wall, pinning his left arm. "You claimed to love me! I was young and innocent, and you took advantage of me! Played with my heart and then cast me aside!" Drawing another knife- this one with a metal blade – from beneath her cloak, she stabbed it through his right sleeve, pinning that arm to the wall as well.

"I didn't-" He started, struggling, but she cut him off.

"No. I don't want to hear your excuses." She drew a third knife, this one poised to slit his throat, and he kicked her in the knee, causing her to yelp and stumble back.

"Tara, please, just hear me out." He tried again, but she recovered her balance and moved to kill him again.

"I said I don't want to hear your excuses." She snapped. "Any last words, _worm?_ "

"Yes! Tara, even if you do end up killing me, I want to apologize!" She paused, leaning back.

"Very well. Talk." She relaxed her stance slightly, but kept her knife at the ready in case he got free.

"First of all," He started. "You're _very_ good."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"Fine." He paused, looking at the ground. "I just wanna say… I was ashamed. Before I met you, I gambled. A lot. I got pretty deep in debt. Meeting you… changed that. I had something to live for other than the senseless pursuit of money."

"If you thought so highly of me, why did you leave?" Tara asked coldly.

"I'm getting to that." Ronin flinched, and Tara noticed blood coloring his sleeve red where she had pinned him to the wall. "I got in trouble. My debts caught up with me. I didn't have the money to pay, so… I ran."

"Why didn't you just tell me?!" The assassin demanded. "I could have helped you!"

"Like I said, I was ashamed. I was… I was afraid you would be disappointed in me and I would lose you." He chuckled bitterly. "I guess I did anyway."

"Well… that doesn't explain why I saw you with another woman!" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips.

"I know. Running didn't work, and those I owed caught up with me. Since I couldn't pay, they had me work off my debt instead. By the time I had... you must have seen me… with them. And wanted me dead." Tara crossed her arms.

"You said you wanted to apologize, but all I'm hearing is excuses."

"I know. I just wanted to explain. I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear!"

"Well, you did. And even if you're telling the truth, you've done plenty of other things worthy of death! I'm doing everyone a favor by killing you." She raised her knife again. "Are you finished?" Ronin flinched again.

"Yes."

"Good." She moved to stab him, but he exclaimed,

"Wait! Please, Tara." She stopped.

"Why shouldn't I kill you?"

"You say you've changed. What changed you?"

"A girl." She said bluntly. "She accepted me for who I am, even after she knew what I've done. I changed for her."

"Does she know you're here to kill me?"

"No. She doesn't. Now I know you're stalling, shut up and let me kill you."

"Tara, what about my family?" He tried again. "What about my parents, and my sister?" Tara frowned.

"You never told me you have a sister. How do I know you're not just making it up?"

"She wasn't in my life at the time. She didn't want anything to do with her good-for-nothing younger brother." He chuckles. "Until recently. I went straight after I helped the ninja at Stiix, and my sister contacted me wanting to make amends. She's in the back room, asleep. As for proving she's real… if you want to go look, she's back there."

"And leave you to get free and stab me in the back? No thank you." She crossed her arms.

"Then you… I… please, Tara." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "I'm all out of guilt-trips, excuses, and arguments. Just… please. Please don't kill me. Please spare my life, if not for my sake, for my sister and friends. Please." Tara was silent, examining the blade of her knife. Ronin was fake through and through, his entire life built on lies and manipulation. However… Tara was an expert liar as well, and he sounded… sincere. Could he really have gone straight? If she had, why not? And if he had really been taken away because of his debts…

Yanking her knife out of the wall, Tara drove it into his leg, making him cry out in pain. Yanking out the other two knives and letting him slide to the floor, Tara hissed,

"Don't even let me see you again." With that, she turned around and fled the building. She had stabbed him in a harmless spot. It would hurt, but he would heal.

Tara berated herself as she pulled the hood back over her head, walking back the way she had come.

"You really have gone soft." She muttered to herself. However, she went still at the sound of a woman's cry, for a moment thinking it was Ming.

"Ronin! Spinjitzu, what happened?!" His sister. He was telling the truth.

Shaking her head, Tara kept walking. Maybe going soft wasn't such a bad thing after all.

* * *

 **My sister told me I should have Tara kill him. I said not to. We compromised.**

 **Also... Tara and Ronin 2 are about to make an appearance in TDR...**

 **~FFF**


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